Thin-wall supporting structure

Abstract

The utility model discloses a thin-wall supporting structure, which relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing, and comprises a connecting piece, a supporting piece and a supporting piece, the supporting piece is connected to the outer wall face of the thin-wall part through a connecting piece, and the thickness of the supporting piece is larger than the wall thickness of the thin-wall part; the reinforcing ribs are connected to the sides, away from the connecting pieces, of the supporting pieces. According to the thin-wall supporting structure, the supporting piece is connected to the outer wall face of the thin-wall part through the connecting piece, the reinforcing rib is arranged on the side, away from the connecting piece, of the supporting piece, and the connecting piece, the supporting piece and the reinforcing rib are printed and formed together with the thin-wall part. In the forming process of the thin-wall part, good rigidity, strength and stability are provided, deformation of the part is restrained, the part has good profile precision, when the supporting structure needs to be dismantled, due to the fact that the wall thickness of the thin connecting piece is smaller than that of the thin-wall part, dismantling is fast and convenient, local damage to the part is not prone to being caused, and the service life of the thin-wall part is prolonged. And the rejection rate of parts is reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to additive manufacturing technical field especially, relate to a kind of thin-walled support structure. BACKGROUND

[0002] More and more thin-walled special-shaped structural parts in aerospace are manufactured integrally by additive manufacturing technology (also known as 3D printing technology) to solve the profile degree that cannot be achieved by traditional mechanical machining.

[0003] However, the stress on the special-shaped curved surface and thin-walled structure is complex and variable during printing, which can easily lead to inconsistent local size shrinkage and finally cause the product to deform, making it difficult to ensure the precision of the part size. To improve the quality of part printing, a rib plate connected to the thin wall is usually designed to support the thin-walled part and suppress the deformation of the part. However, the rib plate in the prior art has a large thickness, and the part is a thin-walled structure. When the rib plate is removed, the part body is easily damaged or the local part is separated from the body with the rib plate, resulting in an increase in part scrap rate. It is difficult and inefficient to handle the rib plate root left on the part surface in the later stage, and the thick rib plate cools slowly, which can easily cause a large stress gradient distribution at the connection between the thin-walled part and the rib plate, leading to deformation of the thin-walled part and the rib plate at the connection and nearby positions. Therefore, it is difficult to ensure the profile precision of large-size special-shaped curved surface thin-walled structure parts.

[0004] Therefore, how to ensure the profile precision of curved thin-walled structure parts while making the removal of the support structure convenient is a technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. UTILITY MODEL CONTENT

[0005] The utility model aims to provide a kind of thin-walled support structure, for ensuring the profile precision of curved thin-walled structure part while making the removal of the support structure convenient.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the utility model provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] A thin-walled support structure for supporting thin-walled parts during additive forming includes:

[0008] A connecting piece with a thickness less than the wall thickness of the thin-walled part;

[0009] A support piece connected to the outer wall of the thin-walled part by the connecting piece, and the thickness of the support piece is greater than the wall thickness of the thin-walled part;

[0010] A reinforcing rib connected to the side of the support piece away from the connecting piece.

[0011] Optionally, in the thin-walled support structure, the thickness of the support sheet is δ, the thickness of the connecting sheet is δ / 3, and the thickness of the reinforcing rib is 1.5δ.

[0012] Optionally, in the thin-walled support structure, the thickness δ of the support sheet ranges from 2mm to 12mm.

[0013] Optionally, in the thin-walled support structure, the connecting sheet and the support sheet are both provided with weight-reducing holes, and the size of the weight-reducing hole of the connecting sheet is less than one-third of the thickness of the connecting sheet.

[0014] Optionally, in the thin-walled support structure, the reinforcing rib is a cross-shaped structure, and the width of the cross-shaped structure is 4δ.

[0015] Optionally, in the thin-walled support structure, the connecting sheet, the support sheet and the reinforcing rib all extend along the forming direction of the thin-walled part, and the height of the support sheet is less than or equal to the height of the thin-walled part.

[0016] Optionally, in the thin-walled support structure, in the forming direction of the thin-walled part, the connecting sheet is a strip-shaped connecting sheet conforming to the thin-walled part.

[0017] Optionally, in the thin-walled support structure, the reinforcing rib is a linear reinforcing rib parallel to the forming direction of the thin-walled part.

[0018] Optionally, in the thin-walled support structure, the connecting sheet, the connecting sheet and the reinforcing rib connected in cooperation form a support group, a plurality of support groups are provided, and each group of the support groups is uniformly distributed along the circumferential direction on the wall surface of the thin-walled part.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, in the thin-walled support structure, the support sheet is connected to the outer wall surface of the thin-walled part through the connecting sheet, and the side of the support sheet away from the connecting sheet is provided with a reinforcing rib. The connecting sheet, the support sheet and the reinforcing rib are formed together with the thin-walled part. During the forming process of the thin-walled part, the support sheet and the reinforcing rib with relatively thick wall thickness provide good rigidity, strength and stability, support the thin-walled part, inhibit the deformation of the part, and ensure that the part has good surface precision. When the support structure needs to be removed after printing, the wall thickness of the connecting sheet connected to the outer wall surface of the thin-walled part is less than the wall thickness of the thin-walled part, so that the removal is fast and convenient, and the connecting sheet is not easy to cause local damage to the part when it is removed, greatly reducing the scrap rate of the part. During the forming process of the part, the connecting sheet is relatively thin, the cooling speed is fast, the stress gradient caused by the temperature difference is significantly improved, the deformation problem at the connecting position and near the connecting position of the thin-walled part and the support structure is solved, and the surface precision of the thin-walled part after forming is further improved. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description thereof, serve to explain the present invention and do not constitute an undue limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the thin-walled support structure disclosed in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the thin-walled support structure disclosed in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a cross-shaped reinforcing rib structure disclosed in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0024] Figure label:

[0025] 10 is a connecting piece, 20 is a supporting piece, 30 is a reinforcing rib, and 40 is a thin-walled part. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model.

[0027] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0028] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified. "Several" means one or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0029] In the description of the utility model, it is necessary to understand that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the utility model.

[0030] In the description of the utility model, it should be explained that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connection", "connection" should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixed connection, or detachable connection, or integrally connected, it can be mechanical connection, or electrical connection, it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, it can be the communication between two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary skilled persons in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the utility model can be understood according to the specific situation.

[0031] The core of the utility model lies in providing a thin-walled support structure, which is formed together with the thin-walled part during the additive manufacturing process of the thin-walled part, supports the thin-walled part, thereby ensuring the profile precision of the curved thin-walled structural part while improving the convenience of removing the support structure after printing.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 The utility model discloses a thin-walled support structure, including connecting piece 10, support sheet 20 and reinforcing rib 30. Support sheet 20 one side is connected with connecting piece 10, and the other side of support sheet 20 is provided with reinforcing rib 30 and is connected, and support sheet 20 is connected to the outer wall of thin-walled part 40 through connecting piece 10, wherein the thickness of connecting piece 10 is less than the wall thickness of thin-walled part 40, and the thickness of support sheet 20 is greater than the wall thickness of thin-walled part 40, so that in the forming process of thin-walled part 40, the thicker support sheet 20 plays a supporting role, and the reinforcing rib 30 connected with the support sheet 20 further plays a stabilizing role, so that the connecting piece 10, the support sheet 20 and the reinforcing rib 30 as a whole provide better rigidity, strength and stability, better shape control is played, the thin-walled part 40 after forming has higher profile precision, and after printing, the thickness of connecting piece 10 is thin, so that connecting piece 10 is removed from thin-walled part 40 simply and conveniently, the efficiency of removal work is improved, and the thin connecting piece 10 is removed and is not easy to cause the damage deformation of thin-walled part 40, thereby reducing the increase of part scrap rate caused by the removal process, and improving the qualified rate of part processing and forming.

[0033] Specifically, the thickness of the support sheet 20 is δ, the thickness of the connecting sheet 10 is δ / 3, and the thickness of the reinforcing rib 30 is 1.5δ. The thicknesses of the connecting sheet 10, the support sheet 20, and the reinforcing rib 30 gradually increase, and after the thickness of the support sheet 20 is determined, the thicknesses of the connecting sheet 10 and the reinforcing rib 30 are also determined. The overall design process is simple, and the efficiency of the entire printing design work in additive manufacturing is improved.

[0034] In a specific embodiment, the thickness δ of the support sheet 20 ranges from 2mm to 12mm, the thickness δ / 3 of the connecting sheet 10 ranges from 0.67mm to 4mm, the thickness 1.5δ of the reinforcing rib 30 ranges from 3mm to 18mm. Specifically, the thickness of the support sheet 20 can be set to 2mm, 3mm, 9mm, or 12mm, the thickness of the connecting sheet 10 can be set to 0.67mm, 1mm, 3mm, or 4mm, and the thickness of the reinforcing rib 30 can be set to 3mm, 4.5mm, 13.5mm, or 18mm. If the thickness is less than the set range, the thicknesses of the connecting sheet 10, the support sheet 20, and the reinforcing rib 30 are all thin, which reduces the overall stiffness, strength, and stability, and reduces the support for the thin-walled part 40, thereby affecting the forming quality of the thin-walled part 40. If the thickness is greater than the set range, the thickness of the connecting sheet 10 increases, which not only makes the disassembly difficult, but also easily causes the part wall thickness to increase. The support sheet 20 and the reinforcing rib 30 with high strength do not further improve the support for the thin-walled part 40, and the printing cost is increased.

[0035] In addition, the connecting sheet 10 and the support sheet 20 are both provided with weight-reducing holes. The weight-reducing holes not only ensure the stability of the overall structure, but also reduce the printing cost and improve the printing efficiency. The weight-reducing holes are also beneficial to the quick disassembly of the connecting sheet 10. Specifically, the weight-reducing holes can be circular, elliptical, rhombic, or other special-shaped structures. The size of the weight-reducing hole of the connecting sheet 10 with a thin thickness is less than one-third of the thickness of the connecting sheet 10, so as to avoid affecting the structural strength of the connecting sheet 10. In a specific embodiment, the size of the weight-reducing hole of the support sheet 20 ranges from 3mm to 10mm, and can be 3mm, 5mm, 7mm, or 10mm. If the size of the weight-reducing hole is greater than the range, the weight-reducing hole may affect the structural strength of the support sheet 20, and if the size of the weight-reducing hole is less than the range, the weight-reducing hole has little effect on the weight reduction of the support sheet 20.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 6, the connecting sheet 10 is provided with a plurality of weight-reducing holes 100, and the support sheet 20 is provided with a plurality of weight-reducing holes 200. Figure 3As shown, the reinforcing rib 30 is a cross structure, and the cross width of the cross structure can be 4δ, and the specific cross width can be in the range of 8mm-40mm, and in a specific embodiment, the cross width of the cross structure can be set to 8mm, 10mm, 20mm, 35mm or 40mm, so that the cross structure has higher structural strength and plays a higher stability role to ensure the surface accuracy of the formed thin-walled part 40. Alternatively, those skilled in the art can design the structure of the reinforcing rib 30 according to actual needs, and it is not limited to the cross structure in the embodiment.

[0037] As shown in the drawings, Figure 1 In the part printing forming process, the connecting piece 10, the supporting piece 20 and the reinforcing rib 30 all extend along the forming direction of the thin-walled part 40, wherein the height of the supporting piece 20 can be equal to the height of the thin-walled part 40, if the height of the supporting piece 20 is higher than the height of the thin-walled part 40, not only increases the printing workload, but also does not improve the supporting effect of the thin-walled part 40, or the height of the supporting piece 20 can be slightly lower than the height of the thin-walled part 40, appropriately reduces the printing cost and workload, but needs to ensure that it does not affect the supporting effect of the supporting piece 20 on the thin-walled part 40, and the height of the connecting piece 10 and the reinforcing rib 30 can be the same as the height of the supporting piece 20.

[0038] As shown in the drawings, Figure 2 In the forming direction of the thin-walled part 40, the connecting piece 10 is a strip-shaped connecting piece that is shaped with the thin-walled part 40, so that the connecting piece 10 and the outer wall surface of the thin-walled part 40 have good adhesion, improve the matching degree of the connecting piece 10 and the thin-walled part 40, and improve the stability of the connection between the connecting piece 10 and the thin-walled part 40.

[0039] At the same time, the reinforcing rib 30 on the other side of the supporting piece 20 is a linear reinforcing rib structure parallel to the forming direction of the thin-walled part 40, and the linear structure is simple, thereby benefiting the quick and convenient printing work, and the local stress of the linear reinforcing rib 30 is low, which is also beneficial to improve the stability of the overall structure.

[0040] As shown in the drawings, Figure 1 The connecting piece 10, the connecting piece 10 and the reinforcing rib 30 form a supporting group, and the supporting group is provided with multiple groups, and each group of supporting groups is uniformly distributed along the circumferential direction of the thin-walled part 40 on the wall surface of the thin-walled part 40. In the entire printing process, the wall surface of the thin-walled part 40 is subjected to a relatively uniform supporting force through the multiple uniformly distributed supporting groups, improving the forming precision of each part of the outer wall surface of the thin-walled part 40, and finally ensuring the forming quality of the thin-walled part 40.

[0041] In a specific embodiment of printing a thin-walled part 40, the following steps are included:

[0042] Step 100: generating a three-dimensional model according to the thin-walled part 40, and designing the thin-walled support structure provided in the embodiment including the connecting piece 10, the connecting piece 10 and the reinforcing rib 30 in the three-dimensional model to form a machining model, then setting process parameters and filling scanning paths, and slicing to obtain an additive manufacturing program.

[0043] Step 200: after the additive manufacturing program is imported into the printing equipment, the powder required for printing is filled, the substrate is preheated, then the oxygen content in the forming chamber reaches the preset value, and the printing is started. The thin-walled support structure provided in the embodiment is formed together with the thin-walled part 40. Specifically, the substrate can be preheated to 100℃, and the oxygen content in the forming chamber reaches the preset value of 1000ppm or less.

[0044] Step 300: after the printing is completed, the powder on the surface of the printed part is cleaned.

[0045] Step 400: after the powder cleaning is completed, heat treatment is performed to remove residual stress in the forming process.

[0046] Step 500: the blank part in the printed part is separated from the substrate by wire cutting.

[0047] Step 600: the support structure on the blank part can be gradually disassembled by using the tool of the bench worker, the connecting piece 10 and the connecting part of the thin-walled part are reciprocated to separate and remove, and then the wall surface of the thin-walled part 40 is polished.

[0048] Step 700, finally, the thin-walled part is inspected, and after confirming that it is qualified, it is put into the warehouse.

[0049] In the description of the above embodiments, specific features, structures, materials or characteristics can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0050] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any skilled person in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical range disclosed by the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A thin-walled support structure, characterized by, A support for supporting a thin-walled part in an additive manufacturing process, comprising: a connecting piece having a thickness less than a wall thickness of the thin-walled part; a support piece connected to an outer wall surface of the thin-walled part via the connecting piece, the support piece having a thickness greater than the wall thickness of the thin-walled part; a reinforcing rib connected to a side of the support piece away from the connecting piece.

2. The thin-walled support structure of claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the support piece is δ, the thickness of the connecting piece is δ / 3, and the thickness of the reinforcing rib is 1.5δ.

3. The thin-walled support structure of claim 2, wherein, The thickness δ of the support piece is in a range of 2mm to 12mm.

4. The thin-walled support structure of claim 1, wherein, The connecting piece and the support piece are both provided with weight-reducing holes, and the size of the weight-reducing holes of the connecting piece is less than one third of the thickness of the connecting piece.

5. The thin-walled support structure of claim 2, wherein, The reinforcing rib is a cross-shaped structure, and the width of the cross-shaped structure is 4δ.

6. The thin-walled support structure of claim 1, wherein, The connecting piece, the support piece and the reinforcing rib all extend along a forming direction of the thin-walled part, and the height of the support piece is less than or equal to the height of the thin-walled part.

7. The thin-walled support structure of claim 1, wherein, In the forming direction of the thin-walled part, the connecting piece is a strip-shaped connecting piece conforming to the thin-walled part.

8. The thin-walled support structure of claim 1, wherein, The reinforcing rib is a linear reinforcing rib parallel to the forming direction of the thin-walled part.

9. Thin-walled support structure according to any of claims 1-8, characterized in that The connecting piece, the connecting piece and the reinforcing rib connected together form a support group, a plurality of support groups are provided, and each support group is uniformly distributed along a circumferential direction on the wall surface of the thin-walled part.

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