Vortex energy-saving homogeneous sand blasting device in three-dimensional printing

Abstract

A vortex energy-saving homogeneous sand blasting device in three-dimensional printing is characterized in that a screw conveyor (2) is coaxially arranged in a horizontally arranged storage tank (1), an air compressor (12) is arranged on a feeding pipe (11), and the feeding pipe (11) is connected with a spray gun (17) towards the inclined lower part; an outlet of a spray gun (17) is tightly attached to the upper front side opening edge of an operation notch (19) formed in the middle of a bottom plate (22) at the bottom, a collecting bin (21) is backwards communicated between the upper rear side opening edge of the operation notch (19) and a valve plug groove (20), and the upper end of a material return pipe (23) is connected back to the rear end of the material storage groove (1). A vortex tube (15) is installed on the lower side of the storage tank (1), and a valve plug body (18) is arranged between an operation notch (19) and a valve plug groove (20). Powder spraying, drying and finishing can be carried out on a sizing surface in printing at a low speed, and sand blasting on the surface of a printing plate roller can be carried out at a high speed. The device is suitable for various silt materials, can save and recycle the silt materials, is adjustable in airflow speed and temperature, and is energy-saving and environment-friendly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of IPC classification B24C abrasive or particulate material jetting technology, and in particular relates to an energy-saving, optimized, innovative and improved technology for a sandblasting device that can be applied to three-dimensional printing. Background Art

[0002] Printing technology is developing rapidly, including the application and absorption of various new technologies to achieve richer and more beautiful work effects and products. Among them, the application of sandblasting technology in printing is becoming more and more mature.

[0003] Although sandblasting isn't a traditional surface decoration technique for printed products, it can be used to create unique surface effects in certain creative designs. For example, applying sandblasting to printed materials like metal or glass can create a frosted or matte finish, enhancing the product's texture and artistic quality. Similarly, printed prototypes or molds created through specialized processes like 3D printing may have subtle burrs or impurities on their surfaces. Sandblasting can be used to deburr and clean these printed products, resulting in a smoother and more even surface.

[0004] On the other hand, over the long-term use of printing equipment, some key components (such as drums and ink rollers) may accumulate dirt or wear. Sandblasting technology can be used to clean and repair the surface of these components, restoring their original finish and performance. Similarly, in certain specialized printing processes, such as gravure or flexographic printing, the surface quality of the plate has a crucial impact on the printing results. Sandblasting technology can be used for plate pretreatment, adjusting the surface roughness to improve ink adhesion and print clarity.

[0005] Printing plate rollers are typically sandblasted during surface treatment and maintenance. Traditional sandblasting machines primarily utilize compressed air to transport powdered particles from one location to another. This process converts kinetic energy into potential energy, allowing the high-speed sand particles to scour the surface of the printing plate roller, improving its surface quality.

[0006] Sandblasting equipment is generally divided into two categories: dry sandblasting machines and liquid sandblasting machines. Dry sandblasting machines can be further divided into suction sandblasting machines and pressure sandblasting machines. Sandblasting machines are also called sandblasting machines and shot blasting machines. Generally, when using printing equipment, it is necessary to first prepare the surface of the printed product, so sandblasting equipment is often used.

[0007] In addition, research into this utility model has also revealed promising applications for powder spraying and post-printing surface sanding in 3D printing, although relatively little prior art has been disclosed. In particular, a sandblasting device capable of both low-speed powder spraying and drying the sizing surface during printing and high-speed sandblasting of the printing plate roller surface has yet to be disclosed. Utility Model Content

[0008] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that in view of the above-mentioned existing problems and technical requirements, the present invention proposes an eddy current energy-saving homogeneous sandblasting device for three-dimensional printing.

[0009] To this end, the utility model includes: a storage trough, a screw conveyor, a discharge cabin, a storage box, a feed pipe, an air compressor, a temperature-controlled air distribution pipe, a vortex tube, a hot blowpipe, a spray gun, a valve plug body, an operating slot, a valve plug slot, a collection cabin, a bottom plate and a return pipe. A screw conveyor is coaxially installed in the horizontal storage trough, and the front end of the storage trough is downwardly connected to the discharge cabin, and a storage box is arranged at the lower side of the discharge cabin; the discharge cabin is inclined downward to connect to the feed pipe, and an air compressor is installed on the feed pipe, and then the feed pipe is further obliquely downward to connect to the spray gun; the spray gun outlet is close to the front edge of the working slot installed in the middle of the bottom base plate, and a downward-opening valve plug slot is arranged above the working slot, and the rear edge of the working slot and the valve plug slot are connected to the collection cabin backward, and the collection cabin is connected to the return pipe obliquely upward and rearward, and the upper end of the return pipe is connected to the rear end of the storage trough; a vortex tube is installed on the lower side of the storage trough, the air compressor is connected to the vortex tube through a compressed air pipe, and the vortex tube is connected to the rear section of the feed pipe through a temperature-controlled air distribution pipe. At the same time, the vortex tube is connected to the valve plug slot through a hot blowpipe; a valve plug body is placed between the working slot and the valve plug slot.

[0010] A one-way valve is installed next to the air compressor on the feed pipe. The upper edge of the adjustment baffle is hingedly installed on the top of the discharge chamber. The rear side of the adjustment baffle is connected to the front port of the storage tank and the upper port of the feed pipe to form a sand powder and air flow channel.

[0011] A switching valve is installed on the outer wall of the adjacent part of the discharge cabin and the storage box, a screen is inclinedly set on the connecting part of the bottom of the discharge cabin and the top of the storage box, a hatch is set on the upper side of the screen, and the hatch is connected to the switching valve through a control line.

[0012] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention is configured as follows:

[0013] In particular, the valve plug body is a cylindrical or hexagonal prism structure. The rear end of the storage tank is connected upwardly to the feed pipe. A check plate is provided on the connection between the rear end bottom surface of the storage tank inner wall and the upper end of the return pipe. A debris discharge port is provided at the bottom of the debris storage box.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, the present invention offers the following advantages: The optimized configuration of the air compressor and vortex tube allows for both low-speed powder spraying and drying of the sizing surface during printing, and high-speed sandblasting of the printing plate roller surface. Its rational design and simple structure accommodate a wide variety of sand powder materials, enabling conservation and recycling of sand powder. Adjustable airflow speed and temperature contribute to energy conservation and environmental protection, reducing labor usage and lowering application and operating costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The following drawings are for illustration only and should not be construed as limiting the present invention in any way. By referring to the following drawings, readers will understand the embodiments of the present invention and further understand the advantages and technical features of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of Example 1 of the utility model.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of the working state of Example 1 of the utility model.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the vortex tube structure in Example 1 of the present utility model.

[0019] Reference numerals include:

[0020] 1-Storage trough, 2-Screw conveyor, 3-Adjusting baffle, 4-Controller, 5-Discharge chamber, 6-Switch valve, 7-Hatch, 8-Screen, 9-Storage box, 10-Discharge port, 11-Feed pipe, 12-Air compressor, 13-Check valve, 14-Thermostatic air distribution pipe, 15-Vortex tube, 16-Hot blowpipe, 17-Spray gun, 18-Valve plug body, 19-Working slot, 20-Valve plug slot, 21-Collecting chamber, 22-Bottom plate, 23-Return pipe, 24-Feed pipe, 25-Check table, 26-Sand powder, 27-Printing plate roller, 28-Bottom trough, 29-Support frame, 30-Lifting and adjusting device, 31-Roller shaft, 32-Sleeve bearing clamping mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] It should be noted that the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover other possible options under the same logic that are not listed. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or are inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0022] In the description of the present invention, the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or the directions or positional relationships in which the product of the present invention is usually placed when in use. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" and the like are only used to distinguish the description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. In addition, the terms "horizontal", "vertical", "overhanging" and the like do not mean that the components are required to be absolutely horizontal or overhanging, but can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" only means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical", and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0023] It should also be noted that, in the description of this utility model, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "disposed," "installed," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections, electrical connections; direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediate medium, and internal connections between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0024] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solution of the present invention, the technical solution in the embodiment of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiment of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiment is only an embodiment of a part of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments.

[0025] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. In the event of a conflict, the definitions in this specification shall prevail.

[0026] Sandblasting technology can effectively remove dirt and coatings from surfaces, restoring their original finish and performance. By adjusting the abrasive particle size and blasting pressure, different surface roughness and topography can be achieved to meet diverse application requirements. Sandblasting technology has a wide range of applications and can be applied to the surface treatment of objects of various materials and shapes. However, the sandblasting process generates a large amount of dust and noise pollution, and appropriate protective measures are required to ensure the health and safety of operators. Sandblasting technology may cause damage or deformation to certain materials, such as soft or easily deformable ones, so the application scenario and parameter settings must be carefully selected. Although sandblasting technology is relatively rarely used in traditional printing processes, it still has certain application value in printing equipment maintenance, plate processing, and surface decoration of special printed products. With the continuous development and innovation of printing technology, sandblasting technology is expected to be applied and promoted in more fields.

[0027] The utility model includes: a storage trough 1, a screw conveyor 2, a discharge cabin 5, a storage box 9, a feeding pipe 11, an air compressor 12, a temperature-regulating air distribution pipe 14, a vortex tube 15, a hot blowpipe 16, a spray gun 17, a valve plug body 18, an operating slot 19, a valve plug slot 20, a collecting cabin 21, a bottom plate 22 and a return pipe 23.

[0028] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0029] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications and variations shall fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0030] Reference Attachment Figure 1 As shown, a screw conveyor 2 is coaxially installed in a horizontal storage tank 1, the front end of the storage tank 1 is downwardly connected to the discharge cabin 5, and a storage box 9 is provided on the lower side of the discharge cabin 5; the discharge cabin 5 is tilted downward to connect to the feed pipe 11, and an air compressor 12 is installed on the feed pipe 11. Then, the feed pipe 11 is further tilted downward to connect to the spray gun 17; the outlet of the spray gun 17 is close to the front edge of the working slot 19 installed in the middle of the bottom plate 22, and a downward-opening valve plug slot 20 is provided above the working slot 19. The rear edge of the upper rear side of 19 and the valve plug groove 20 are connected to the collecting cabin 21 backward, and the collecting cabin 21 is connected to the return pipe 23 obliquely upward and rearward, and the upper end of the return pipe 23 is connected to the rear end of the storage tank 1; a vortex tube 15 is installed on the lower side of the storage tank 1, and the air compressor 12 is connected to the vortex tube 15 through the compressed air pipe. The vortex tube 15 is connected to the rear section of the feed pipe 11 through the temperature-regulating air distribution pipe 14. At the same time, the vortex tube 15 is connected to the valve plug groove 20 through the hot blowpipe 16; a valve plug body 18 is placed between the working slot 19 and the valve plug groove 20.

[0031] A controller 4 is mounted on the outer wall of the discharge chamber 5. Through communication lines, it controls the screw conveyor 2, the adjustable damper 3, the switching valve 6, the air compressor 12, the temperature-controlled air distribution pipe 14, and the hot blowpipe 16. With the addition of auxiliary automatic devices, it can even further control the chamber door 7, the screen 8, the impurity discharge port 10, and the feed pipe 24. A one-way valve 13 is installed on the feed pipe 11, next to the air compressor 12. The valve plug 18 is a cylindrical or hexagonal prism structure.

[0032] Among them, the rear end of the storage tank 1 is connected upwardly to the installation feed pipe 24. Correspondingly, a check platform 25 is convexly provided on the connection part between the rear end bottom surface of the inner wall of the storage tank 1 and the upper end of the return pipe 23.

[0033] Among them, the upper edge of the adjusting baffle 3 is hingedly installed on the top of the discharge chamber 5, and the rear side of the adjusting baffle 3 is connected with the front port of the storage trough 1 and the upper port of the feeding pipe 11 to form sand powder 26 and an air flow channel.

[0034] A switching valve 6 is installed on the outer wall of the adjacent portion of the discharge chamber 5 and the storage box 9. A screen 8 is installed at an angle at the connection between the bottom of the discharge chamber 5 and the top of the storage box 9. A hatch 7 is installed above the screen 8. The hatch 7 is connected to the switching valve 6 via a control line. A discharge port 10 is provided at the bottom of the storage box 9.

[0035] The present invention can be more easily understood by referring to the following preferred embodiments and examples. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. In the event of any conflict, the definitions in this specification shall prevail.

[0036] Example 1: As shown in the attached Figure 2As shown, when the surface of the printing plate roller 27 needs to be sandblasted, a bottom groove 28 is placed flat on the lower side of the bottom plate 22; a support frame 29 is installed upright in the middle of the bottom groove 28, a shaft sleeve bearing clamping mechanism 32 is installed on the upper end of the support frame 29, and a lifting and adjusting device 30 is installed at the bottom of the shaft sleeve bearing clamping mechanism 32. Furthermore, the roller shaft 31 of the printing plate roller 27 is installed into the sleeve bearing clamping mechanism 32, and according to the height of the top surface of the printing plate roller 27 and its relative position to the working slot 19, the bottom slot 28 and the lifting adjustment device 30 are moved and adjusted, so that when working, the top surface of the printing plate roller 27 is sufficient to push into the working slot 19 and push up the valve plug body 18; first start the air compressor 12 to check the air tightness of the internal channel; then add sand powder 26 into the storage tank 1, and start the screw conveyor 2; then, test and adjust the speed of the screw conveyor 2 and the air compressor 12, and the sand powder 26 flow is sprayed out by the spray gun 17 to cut the bottom of the valve plug body 18 and push it up and flush from The top surface of the printing plate roller 27 is exposed by the working slot 19. Subsequently, under the combined effects of collision refraction and negative pressure suction in the flow channel, the sand powder 26 flow carries impurities washed from the top surface of the printing plate roller 27 and converges into the collection chamber 21. According to this principle, if the inner wall structure of the corresponding channel has no obvious defects, the moving sand powder 26 flow will not leak. After the sand powder 26 flow circulation stabilizes, the vortex tube 15 is activated and the temperature-controlled air distribution pipe 14 is adjusted according to the operating needs to increase the hot and cold air flow processing function, thereby improving or enriching the operating conditions. The sand powder 26 flow in the collection chamber 21 is then returned to the storage tank 1 along the return pipe 23. During this process, the printing plate roller 27 rotates, supported by the support frame 29 and the sleeve bearing clamping mechanism 32, until all the surfaces of the printing plate roller 27 to be processed are reliably sandblasted.

[0037] Furthermore, the hatch 7 can be opened and closed by switching the valve 6. At this time, when the circulating sand powder 26 flows through the screen 8, at least some impurities will fall into the storage box 9, and can be cleaned by regularly opening the impurity discharge port 10. Of course, the coordination between opening and closing the hatch 7 and the rotating adjustment baffle 3 can further enrich the working state and kinetic energy of controlling the sand powder 26 flow.

[0038] In the embodiment of the present invention, the screw conveyor 2 is a machine that uses a motor to drive the screw to rotate and push materials to achieve the purpose of conveying. It can convey materials horizontally, obliquely, or vertically and has the advantages of simple structure, small cross-sectional area, good sealing, convenient operation, easy maintenance, and convenient closed transportation. The screw conveyor 2 can be a tubular shaft screw conveyor or a tubular shaftless screw conveyor. Shafted screw conveyors are suitable for conveying non-sticky dry powders and small particles, while shaftless screw conveyors are suitable for conveying sticky and easily entangled materials. The operating principle of the screw conveyor is that rotating spiral blades push the material to convey the material. The forces that prevent the material from rotating with the screw conveyor blades are the weight of the material itself and the frictional resistance of the screw conveyor casing. The spiral blades are welded to the screw conveyor's rotating shaft. The blade surface shape can be solid, belt, or blade, depending on the material being conveyed. The screw conveyor's screw shaft has thrust bearings at the ends of the material's movement direction to provide axial reaction force to the screw along with the material. For longer conveyors, intermediate hanging bearings should be added.

[0039] In the embodiment of the present utility model, as shown in the attached Figure 3 As shown, the vortex tube 15 is also called a vortex tube, a vortex cooler, etc. The vortex tube 15 adopts a universal structure. The main structure of the vortex tube 15 is that the compressed air inlet is connected to the vortex chamber. The hot air flow is output from one end of the temperature control valve, and the cold air flow is output from the other end. By replacing the internal vortex chamber, i.e., the vortex generator, the conversion of different air flow specifications can be achieved. Compressed air of a certain pressure is input into the vortex generator of the vortex tube 15, and then expanded, accelerated, and rotated. The air flow enters the heat pipe along the wall at a rotation speed of 1,000,000 rpm. The air flow in the heat pipe generates energy conversion after vortex exchange, and the air flow is divided into two streams of hot and cold air. At the terminal of the heat pipe, a part of the compressed air is discharged as hot air through the regulating valve, and the remaining compressed air returns at a lower speed through the center of the rotating air flow of the heat pipe. This cold air flow passes through the center of the generator to form ultra-low temperature cold air and is collected and discharged at the cold air end. At 7 bar and 25°C dry air, the cold air stream exiting the cold air end can reach a minimum temperature of -35°C, with a maximum temperature drop of 40°C. The hot air stream exiting the other end can reach a maximum temperature of +180°C. The vortex tube 15 operates using compressed air provided by the air compressor 12. At an operating pressure of 7 bar, the maximum temperature drop can reach -30°C. The cold air temperature and flow rate are adjustable. There is no residual waste to clean, no electricity, and no sparks. The system is inexpensive, eliminating the need for expensive equipment and maintaining a low cost.

[0040] Preferably, the valve plug body 18 and the valve plug groove 20 are made of the same magnetic pole material that weakly repel each other.

[0041] Preferably, the vortex tube 4 uses the WA0-025 model product, supplies compressed air at 70°F (21.1°C), the outer diameter of the vortex chamber body is 30mm, the cold air flow output temperature is -40°C, and the hot air flow output is 230°F (110°C); the air intake volume is 25cfm / 0.698BAR, and the steam consumption is 1.12m 3 / min, cooling capacity 2800BTU / Hr.

[0042] Preferably, the sand powder 26 is sandblasting, which is a surface treatment technique in which hard abrasives, such as quartz sand or corundum, are sprayed onto the surface of an object using high-pressure gas. This technique utilizes the impact force of the abrasive to remove dirt, oxides, coatings, etc. from the surface of the printing plate roller 27, thereby changing the surface roughness and morphology to a certain extent.

[0043] Another working scenario of this embodiment is: powder spraying or sandblasting polishing treatment of the printed surface. The working method and process are the same as above. It is only necessary to change the type of sand powder 26, adjust the temperature control air distribution pipe 14, accurately test and control the cold and hot air flow auxiliary processing function, and appropriately reduce the circulation speed of the sand powder 26.

[0044] Based on the above embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by persons of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention, so as to avoid exhaustively listing all implementation methods that are unnecessary and impossible to fully enumerate.

Claims

1. A vortex energy-saving homogeneous sandblasting device for three-dimensional printing, comprising: a material storage tank (1), a screw conveyor (2), a material discharge chamber (5), a storage box (9), a material supply pipe (11), an air compressor (12), a temperature-controlled air distribution pipe (14), a vortex tube (15), a hot blowpipe (16), a spray gun (17), a valve plug body (18), an operating slot (19), a valve plug slot (20), a collection chamber (21), a bottom plate (22) and a return pipe (23); characterized in that: A screw conveyor (2) is coaxially installed in a horizontal storage tank (1), the front end of the storage tank (1) is connected to a discharge chamber (5) downward, and a storage box (9) is provided on the lower side of the discharge chamber (5); the discharge chamber (5) is tilted downward to connect to a feed pipe (11), an air compressor (12) is installed on the feed pipe (11), and then the feed pipe (11) is further tilted downward to connect to a spray gun (17); the outlet of the spray gun (17) is closely attached to the front edge of an operating slot (19) installed in the middle of a bottom plate (22) at the bottom, a downwardly opening valve plug slot (20) is provided above the operating slot (19), and the operating slot (19) is provided with a valve plug slot (20) which opens downward. The upper rear side opening and the valve plug groove (20) are connected to the collection chamber (21) backwards, the collection chamber (21) is connected to the return pipe (23) obliquely upward and rearwards, and the upper end of the return pipe (23) is connected to the rear end of the storage tank (1); a vortex tube (15) is installed on the lower side of the storage tank (1), the air compressor (12) is connected to the vortex tube (15) through the compressed air pipe, the vortex tube (15) is connected to the rear section of the feed pipe (11) through the temperature-regulating air distribution pipe (14), and at the same time, the vortex tube (15) is connected to the valve plug groove (20) through the hot blowpipe (16); the valve plug body (18) is placed between the working slot (19) and the valve plug groove (20).

2. The eddy current energy-saving homogeneous sandblasting device for 3D printing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper edge of the regulating baffle (3) is hingedly installed on the top of the discharge chamber (5), and the rear side of the regulating baffle (3) is connected with the front port of the storage tank (1) and the upper port of the feed pipe (11) to form sand powder (26) and an air flow channel.

3. The eddy current energy-saving homogeneous sandblasting device for 3D printing according to claim 1, characterized in that: A switching valve (6) is installed on the outer wall of the adjacent portion of the discharge chamber (5) and the storage box (9); a screen (8) is obliquely arranged on the connecting portion between the bottom of the discharge chamber (5) and the top of the storage box (9); a hatch (7) is arranged on the upper side of the screen (8); and the hatch (7) is connected to the switching valve (6) through a control line.

4. The eddy current energy-saving homogeneous sandblasting device for 3D printing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve plug body (18) is a cylindrical or hexagonal prism structure.

5. The eddy current energy-saving homogeneous sandblasting device for 3D printing according to claim 1, characterized in that: A one-way valve (13) is installed beside the air compressor (12) on the feed pipe (11).

6. The eddy current energy-saving homogeneous sandblasting device for 3D printing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rear end of the storage tank (1) is connected upwardly to a feed pipe (24).

7. The eddy current energy-saving homogeneous sandblasting device for 3D printing according to claim 1, characterized in that: A check platform (25) is provided on the connection portion between the bottom surface of the rear end of the inner wall of the storage tank (1) and the upper end of the return pipe (23).

8. The eddy current energy-saving homogeneous sandblasting device for three-dimensional printing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the storage box (9) is provided with a debris discharge port (10).

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