A 3D printer for metal forming

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of 3D printing equipment technology, specifically to a 3D printer for metal forming. The 3D printer includes a forming chamber body, several laser scanning units, a feeding unit, a powder spreading unit, a forming cylinder, a printing substrate, a piston unit, a first lifting unit, and a second lifting unit. The forming chamber body has a through hole at its bottom; the laser scanning units can scan metal powder on the printing plane to form a printed part; the forming cylinder is located below the forming chamber body; the printing substrate is movably connected inside the forming cylinder, and the size of the printing substrate matches the through hole; the piston unit is slidably connected inside the forming cylinder, and the printing substrate is located on top of the piston unit. During the printing process, the top of the forming cylinder always presses against the forming chamber body, ensuring the airtightness of the internal space of the forming chamber body during printing. When removing the printed part, the forming cylinder and the printed part can be removed together, making cleaning the printed part more convenient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of 3D printing equipment technology, and specifically to a 3D printer for metal forming. Background Technology

[0002] Metal 3D printing, based on the principle of layered discretization and layer-by-layer deposition, uses metal powder or filament as raw materials, employs laser for metallurgical melting, rapid solidification and layer-by-layer deposition, and directly completes the integrated molding and manufacturing of metal parts from the digital model of the part in one step.

[0003] The basic working process of a metal 3D printer is as follows: The powder spreading device delivers a certain amount of powder to the printing substrate in the forming chamber. The laser scanning system controls the laser to scan the solid powder layer with an approximately constant spot size and beam energy according to the cross-sectional contour of the layer, so that the powder melts and bonds with the already formed part below. After one layer of cross-section is sintered, the working platform descends by the thickness of one layer, and the powder spreading device spreads another layer of uniform and dense powder on top, and scans and sinters the new cross-section. After several layers are scanned and superimposed, the entire three-dimensional object is manufactured.

[0004] Existing metal 3D printers also have some problems during use. First, the printed parts need to have the metal powder cleaned off the surface inside the forming chamber before they can be removed from the chamber door, and cleaning the metal powder inside the forming chamber is quite difficult. Second, the overall structure of existing metal 3D printers is not well-designed and is not compact enough. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the aforementioned shortcomings, the technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a 3D printer for metal forming, which can remove the forming cylinder, printing substrate and printed parts together, making it more convenient to clean up powder and remove printed parts.

[0006] The above-mentioned technical objective of this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0007] A 3D printer for metal forming, comprising:

[0008] The molding chamber body has a through hole at its bottom;

[0009] Several laser scanning units are disposed on the upper side of the forming chamber body. The laser scanning units are capable of forming printed parts by scanning metal powder on the printing plane with laser.

[0010] A feeding unit is disposed on the side of the forming chamber body, and the feeding unit is used to feed metal powder into the forming chamber body;

[0011] A powder spreading unit is disposed within the molding chamber body. The powder spreading unit is used to spread the metal powder fed into the molding chamber body by the feeding unit onto the printing plane.

[0012] A cylindrical forming cylinder is disposed below the forming chamber body;

[0013] A printing substrate, which is movably connected to a molding cylinder, and the size of the printing substrate matches the through hole;

[0014] A piston unit is slidably connected inside a molding cylinder, and the printing substrate is disposed on top of the piston unit;

[0015] The first lifting unit can drive the molding cylinder to rise and fall through its working end. When the top of the molding cylinder abuts against the molding chamber body, the molding cylinder is connected to the molding chamber body through a through hole.

[0016] The second lifting unit is capable of driving the piston unit to rise and fall through its working end, and the working end of the second lifting unit is fixedly connected to the working end of the first lifting unit.

[0017] By adopting the above scheme, initially, the first lifting unit drives the forming cylinder to rise, so that the top of the forming cylinder abuts against the bottom of the forming chamber body, thereby connecting the forming cylinder and the forming chamber body. Then, the second lifting unit drives the piston unit and the printing substrate to rise, so that the printing substrate is located in the through hole, and the top surface of the printing substrate is on the printing plane. During printing, metal powder is fed into the forming chamber body by the feeding unit, and the metal powder is spread evenly on the printing plane by the powder spreading unit. The metal powder on the printing plane is scanned by the laser scanning unit, thereby forming a layer of the printed part. After scanning one layer, the second lifting unit drives the piston unit and the printing substrate to descend one layer, and so on, scanning and printing layer by layer to form a complete printed part. When removing the printed part, the printed part is located in the forming cylinder. The first lifting unit drives the forming cylinder and the printed part in the forming cylinder to descend away from the forming chamber body, thereby facilitating the removal of the printed part. During the printing process, the top of the forming cylinder always abuts against the forming chamber body, ensuring the sealing of the internal space of the forming chamber body during the printing process. When removing the printed parts, the forming cylinder and the printed parts can be taken out together. The cleaning of the printed parts can be carried out outside the forming chamber, making the operation more convenient.

[0018] Preferably, the first lifting unit includes a lifting assembly, a fixed base, and a lifting seat. The lifting assembly is fixedly connected to the fixed base, and the lifting seat is fixedly connected to the working end of the lifting assembly. The forming cylinder is supported on the lifting seat. The lifting assembly can drive the lifting seat to rise and fall through its working end. The lifting seat is provided with a first clearance hole. The second lifting unit is fixedly connected to the lower side of the lifting seat, and the working end of the second lifting unit passes through the first clearance hole. The forming cylinder is supported on the lifting seat, and the lifting assembly drives the lifting seat to rise and fall, thereby driving the forming cylinder to rise and fall. The forming cylinder can be easily removed from the lifting seat, thus facilitating the removal of the forming cylinder along with the printed part. The second lifting unit is fixed in the first clearance hole, making the overall structure of the first and second lifting units more compact.

[0019] Preferably, the piston unit includes a piston seat, a fixing frame, felt strips, and a first elastic component. The printing substrate is disposed on the piston seat, and the fixing frame is fixedly connected to the bottom of the piston seat. A first mounting groove is provided circumferentially on the outer side of the fixing frame. A plurality of felt strips are disposed in the first mounting groove, and a plurality of first elastic components are disposed in the first mounting groove. The first elastic components are used to move the felt strips away from the first mounting groove, so that the felt strips are tightly attached to the inner wall of the molding cylinder. During the process of the piston unit moving up and down in the molding cylinder, the felt strips are tightly attached to the inner wall of the molding cylinder under the action of the first elastic components, thereby ensuring the sealing between the piston unit and the molding cylinder.

[0020] Preferably, the first elastic component includes a movable block and a plurality of first elastic elements, with both ends of the first elastic elements connected to the fixed frame and the movable block, respectively. Under the elastic force of the first elastic elements, the movable block presses against the felt strip against the inner wall of the forming cylinder, thereby ensuring the tightness of the felt strip against the inner wall of the forming cylinder and guaranteeing the sealing between the piston unit and the forming cylinder.

[0021] Preferably, the outer side of the fixing frame is provided with a second mounting groove along the circumference. The second mounting groove contains a plurality of rolling guides distributed circumferentially along the fixing frame. The second mounting groove also contains a plurality of second elastic components corresponding one-to-one with the rolling guides. These second elastic components are used to drive the corresponding rolling guides away from the second mounting groove, so that the rolling elements of the rolling guides abut against the inner wall of the molding cylinder. The rolling guides reduce the friction between the piston unit and the molding cylinder. Furthermore, under the action of the second elastic components, the rolling guides abut against the inner wall of the molding cylinder, thereby keeping the piston unit in a centered position. This ensures that the printing substrate on the piston unit corresponds to the through hole on the molding chamber body, allowing the printing substrate to accurately enter the through hole.

[0022] Preferably, a horizontal transfer unit is also included. This horizontal transfer unit comprises two parallel tracks, and support groups corresponding to the two tracks are provided on both sides of the forming cylinder. When the working end of the first lifting unit descends to a preset height, the support groups rest on the corresponding tracks. The forming cylinder contains several limiting members that support the piston unit. When the printed part needs to be removed, the first lifting unit lowers the forming cylinder to the preset height, and the support groups rest on the corresponding tracks. The working ends of both the first and second lifting units continue to descend, disengaging from the forming cylinder and the piston unit, thus removing both from the range affecting the horizontal movement of the forming cylinder. The piston unit, supported by the limiting members, allows the forming cylinder and the printed part to be easily pushed out via the tracks.

[0023] Preferably, the horizontal transfer unit further includes two electric push rods corresponding one-to-one with the two tracks. The working ends of the two electric push rods correspond one-to-one with two support groups. The electric push rods are fixedly connected to the corresponding tracks, and the working ends of the electric push rods are provided with top blocks. The support groups include two supports distributed along the length of the tracks, and the free ends of the top blocks extend between the corresponding two supports. When the forming cylinder is pushed out, the top blocks on the electric push rods hold the corresponding first support, and the electric push rods extend to push the forming cylinder out. When the forming cylinder is pushed in, the top blocks on the electric push rods hook the corresponding second support, and the electric push rods retract to push the forming cylinder in. The structure is simple, facilitating the pushing out and pushing in of the forming cylinder, and making it easy to separate the forming cylinder from the top blocks of the electric push rods for removal.

[0024] Preferably, the track has a plurality of rolling elements along its length. When the working end of the first lifting unit descends to a preset height, the support group rests on the rolling elements on the corresponding track. The rolling elements facilitate the horizontal movement of the forming cylinder on the track.

[0025] Preferably, a camera is installed on the top of the molding chamber body, and the camera is used to capture images of the printing plane inside the molding chamber body. The camera allows for convenient observation of the printing process of the printed parts on the printing plane.

[0026] Preferably, the bottom of the molding chamber body is connected to two powder return troughs, which are located on both sides of the through hole and distributed along the powder spreading direction. Each powder return trough has a powder outlet at its bottom and a powder return assembly inside, which conveys the material in the trough to the powder outlet. The powder return troughs and assembly can remove excess powder from the molding chamber body, preventing powder accumulation.

[0027] In summary, the 3D printer for metal forming provided by this utility model has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0028] 1. The layout of the various components is more reasonable, and the overall structure is more compact.

[0029] 2. After printing, the printed parts can be removed together with the forming cylinder for easy powder cleaning. Attached image description:

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any novel effort.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the frame and the components mounted on the frame in this utility model;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the molding chamber body, laser scanning unit, feeding unit, molding cylinder, horizontal transfer unit, first lifting unit and second lifting unit assembled together in this utility model.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a front view of the molding chamber body, laser scanning unit, feeding unit, molding cylinder, horizontal transfer unit, first lifting unit and second lifting unit assembled together in this utility model;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the molding chamber body and the feeding unit assembled together in this utility model;

[0036] Figure 6 This is a front view of the molding chamber body and the feeding unit assembled together in this utility model;

[0037] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 Sectional view at point AA;

[0038] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the molding chamber body in this utility model from a bottom-view perspective;

[0039] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the laser scanning unit and the mounting bracket assembled together in this utility model;

[0040] Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the first lifting unit, the second lifting unit, the horizontal transfer unit, the molding cylinder, the printing substrate and the piston unit assembled together in this utility model;

[0041] Figure 11 This is a right view of the first lifting unit, the second lifting unit, the horizontal transfer unit, the molding cylinder, the printing substrate, and the piston unit assembled together in this utility model;

[0042] Figure 12 yes Figure 11 Sectional view at point BB;

[0043] Figure 13 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the horizontal transfer unit in this utility model;

[0044] Figure 14 This is a front view of the piston unit in this utility model;

[0045] Figure 15 Figure 14 Sectional view at CC;

[0046] Figure 16 yes Figure 15 An enlarged view of point a in the middle;

[0047] Figure 17 This is an exploded view of the piston unit in this utility model.

[0048] The reference numerals in the accompanying drawings include: molding chamber body 1, bottom plate 101, side plate 102, top plate 103, support platform 104, first mounting port 105, second mounting port 106, laser scanning unit 2, feeding unit 3, powder storage tank 301, rubber adapter pipe 302, quantitative feeding assembly 303, feeding pipe 304, powder spreading unit 4, piston unit 5, piston seat 501, fixing frame 502, felt strip 503, first elastic assembly 504, movable block 5041, first elastic element 5042, first mounting groove 505, second mounting groove 506, rolling guide rail 507, second elastic assembly 508, positioning block 5081, positioning pin 5082, second elastic element 5083, overlapping part 509, support base plate 510, first lifting unit 6, lifting assembly 601, and drive. Motor 6011, screw lifting mechanism 6012, commutator 6013, coupling 6014, fixed seat 602, lifting seat 603, second clearance hole 604, horizontal limit block 605, second sealing strip 606, second lifting unit 7, horizontal transfer unit 8, track 801, rolling element 802, electric push rod 803, top block 804, toner return assembly 9, toner return motor 901, screw shaft 902, through hole 10, forming cylinder 11, printing substrate 12, support 13, limit component 14, toner return trough 15, frame 16, mounting bracket 17, column foot 18, first sealing strip 19, toner overflow hole 20, toner outlet pipe 21, moving toner tank 22, atmosphere unit 23, air inlet pipe 2301, exhaust pipe 2302, hatch 24, observation window 25, cover assembly 26. Detailed Implementation

[0049] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this utility model, the following description is provided in conjunction with the appendix. Figure 1-17 The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0050] Please see Figure 1-17This embodiment provides a 3D printer for metal forming, comprising: a forming chamber body 1, four laser scanning units 2, a feeding unit 3, a powder spreading unit 4, a forming cylinder 11, a printing substrate 12, a piston unit 5, a first lifting unit 6, a second lifting unit 7, and a frame 16. The forming chamber body 1 has a printing space inside, and a through hole 10 is provided at the bottom of the forming chamber body 1; a camera is provided at the top of the forming chamber body 1 for capturing images of the printing plane inside the forming chamber body 1. Specifically, the forming chamber body 1 includes a base plate 101, four side plates 102, and a top plate 103. The four side plates 102 are connected end-to-end in sequence. The side plates 102 are fixedly connected to the upper side of the base plate 101, and the top plate 103 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the side plates 102. The base plate 101, the four side plates 102, and the top plate 103 together enclose the printing space. The left and right ends of the base plate 101 extend beyond the boundaries of the left and right side plates 102 to form support platforms 104. A through hole 10 is formed in the middle of the base plate 101, and the through hole 10 is a rectangular hole. The top of the forming chamber body 1 is provided with four first mounting ports 105 and one second mounting port 106. Specifically, both the first mounting ports 105 and the second mounting port 106 are formed on the top plate 103, with the second mounting port 106 located in the middle of the top plate 103 and between the four first mounting ports 105. A laser scanning unit 2 is disposed on the upper side of the forming chamber body 1. The laser scanning unit 2 can form a printed part by scanning metal powder on the printing plane with a laser. The scanning range of the four laser scanning units 2 partially overlaps on the printing plane, forming a larger scanning and printing range than a single mechanical scanning unit. Specifically, the laser working ends of the four laser scanning units 2 that output the scanning laser beam correspond one-to-one with the four first mounting ports 105, and the laser working ends are located within the corresponding first mounting ports 105 and are sealed to the corresponding first mounting ports 105. Specifically, the sealing method involves a window pane inside the first mounting port 105, which seals the first mounting port 105 while allowing light to pass through. The window pane is preferably made of high-transmittance glass with a transmittance greater than 90%, a technology currently available. The camera is positioned inside the second mounting port 106, with a sealed connection between the camera's working end and the second mounting port 106. Specifically, a camera glass pane can be placed inside the second mounting port 106 to seal it. The camera is fixedly connected to the top of the forming chamber body 1, with its imaging end located inside the second mounting port 106. Four laser scanning units 2 are fixed to the forming chamber body 1 via mounting brackets 17. Specifically, the four legs 18 of the mounting bracket 17 are fixed to the base plate 101 of the forming chamber, and the legs 18 on the left and right sides of the mounting bracket 17 are fixed to corresponding support platforms 104. The weight of the laser scanning units 2 is borne by the base plate 101 via the mounting brackets 17. The base plate 101 is fixedly connected to the frame 16, and the frame 16 bears the load. The feeding unit 3 is located on the side of the molding chamber body 1, specifically at the rear side of the molding chamber body 1.The feeding unit 3 is fixedly connected to the frame 16 and is used to feed metal powder into the molding chamber body 1. The feeding unit 3 includes a powder storage tank 301, a rubber adapter pipe 302, a quantitative feeding component 303, and a feeding pipe 304. The powder storage tank 301 and the rubber adapter pipe 302 are both located outside the molding chamber body 1, with the powder storage tank 301 specifically fixedly connected to the frame 16. The quantitative feeding component 303 and the feeding pipe 304 are both located inside the molding chamber body 1. The quantitative feeding component 303 is used for quantitative feeding, and its outlet is connected to the inlet of the feeding pipe 304. A powder passage is provided on the rear side of the molding chamber body 1, and an outlet is provided at the bottom of the powder storage tank 301. The outlet is connected to the powder passage via the rubber adapter pipe 302, and the inlet of the quantitative feeding component 303 is connected to the powder passage. Because the rubber adapter 302 can elastically deform, the installation accuracy requirements for the powder storage tank 301 are reduced. Furthermore, during operation, the rubber adapter 302 allows for relative displacement between the powder storage tank 301 and the molding chamber body 1. Even if the powder storage tank 301 or the molding chamber vibrates, it will not affect the entry of the metal powder in the powder storage tank 301 into the quantitative feeding assembly 303. The powder spreading unit 4 is disposed within the molding chamber body 1, and is used to spread the metal powder fed into the molding chamber body 1 by the feeding unit 3 onto the printing surface. The molding cylinder 11 is cylindrical and is disposed below the molding chamber body 1. The printing substrate 12 is movably connected within the molding cylinder 11, and the size of the printing substrate 12 matches the through hole 10, allowing the printing substrate 12 to fit through the through hole 10. The piston unit 5 is slidably connected within the molding cylinder 11, and the printing substrate 12 is disposed on top of the piston unit 5. The first lifting unit 6 is fixedly connected to the frame 16. The first lifting unit 6 can drive the forming cylinder 11 to rise and fall through its working end. The working end of the first lifting unit 6 can be separated from the forming cylinder 11. When the top of the forming cylinder 11 abuts against the forming chamber body 1, the forming cylinder 11 communicates with the forming chamber body 1 through the through hole 10. The top of the forming cylinder 11 is provided with a first groove, and a first sealing strip 19 is provided within the first groove. When the upper end of the forming cylinder 11 abuts against the bottom of the forming chamber body 1, the first sealing strip 19 can further enhance the sealing between the forming cylinder 11 and the forming chamber body 1. The second lifting unit 7 can drive the piston unit 5 to rise and fall through its working end. The second lifting unit 7 is fixedly connected to the working end of the first lifting unit 6, and the working end of the second lifting unit 7 can be separated from the piston unit 5.

[0051] Please see Figure 10-12In some embodiments, the first lifting unit 6 includes a lifting assembly 601, a fixed base 602, and a lifting base 603. The fixed base 602 is fixedly connected to the frame 16, the lifting assembly 601 is fixedly connected to the fixed base 602, and the lifting base 603 is fixedly connected to the working end of the lifting assembly 601. The forming cylinder 11 is supported on the lifting base 603. The lifting assembly 601 can drive the lifting base 603 to rise and fall through its working end. The lifting base 603 is provided with a first clearance hole. Specifically, the lifting assembly 601 includes a drive motor 6011 and four screw lifting mechanisms 6012. The output end of the drive motor 6011 simultaneously drives the four screw lifting mechanisms 6012 to rise and fall through a commutator 6013 and a coupling 6014. The second lifting unit 7 is fixedly connected to the lower side of the lifting base 603, and the working end of the second lifting unit 7 passes through the first clearance hole. The fixed base 602 has a second clearance hole 604 for the passage of the second lifting unit 7. The second clearance hole 604 can prevent interference between the second lifting unit 7 and the fixed base 602 during the process of the first lifting unit 6 driving the second lifting unit 7 to rise and fall. Specifically, the second lifting unit 7 is an electric lifting cylinder, which is fixedly connected to the lower side of the lifting base 603 by bolts, and the piston rod of the electric lifting cylinder passes through the first clearance hole.

[0052] Please continue reading. Figure 11 To facilitate limiting the horizontal position of the molding cylinder 11, preferably, horizontal limiting blocks 605 are fixedly connected to all four sides of the lifting seat 603, with the upper end of the horizontal limiting blocks 605 protruding from the top surface of the lifting seat 603. When the lifting seat 603 pushes the molding cylinder 11 upwards, all the limiting blocks together surround the molding cylinder 11, thereby limiting its horizontal position. To improve the sealing between the molding cylinder 11 and the lifting seat 603, a second groove corresponding to the lower end of the molding cylinder 11 is provided on the upper side of the lifting seat 603. A second sealing strip 606 is provided in the second groove, specifically adopting a pneumatic sealing strip from the prior art.

[0053] Please see Figure 14-17In some embodiments, the piston unit 5 includes: a piston seat 501, a fixing frame 502, felt strips 503, and a first elastic component 504. A printing substrate 12 is disposed on the upper side of the piston seat 501 and is detachably connected to the piston seat 501. The fixing frame 502 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the piston seat 501 and is rectangular. A first mounting groove 505 is provided circumferentially on the outer side of the fixing frame 502, and several felt strips 503 are disposed within the first mounting groove 505. Specifically, there are four felt strips 503, located at the front, rear, left, and rear sides of the fixing frame 502, respectively. The four felt strips 503 are of equal length, and each end of the felt strip 503 has an overlapping portion 509. The overlapping portions 509 of two adjacent felt strips 503 overlap together. The first mounting groove 505 is provided with a plurality of first elastic components 504. The first elastic components 504 are used to move the felt strip 503 away from the first mounting groove 505 so that the felt strip 503 is tightly attached to the inner wall of the molding cylinder 11. Specifically, there are four first elastic components 504, which are respectively arranged at the four corners of the fixing frame 502.

[0054] Please see Figure 16 In some embodiments, the first elastic component 504 includes a movable block 5041 and a plurality of first elastic elements 5042, with both ends of the first elastic elements 5042 connected to the fixed frame 502 and the movable block 5041, respectively. Specifically, there are five first elastic elements 5042, evenly distributed along the length of the movable block 5041. The first elastic elements 5042 are springs, and the movable block 5041 is an L-shaped block. The inner side of the movable block 5041 is provided with a plurality of first limiting grooves corresponding one-to-one with the first elastic elements 5042, and the outer side of the fixed frame 502 is provided with a plurality of second limiting grooves corresponding one-to-one with the first limiting grooves. One end of the first elastic element 5042 abuts against the first limiting groove, and the other end abuts against the second limiting groove.

[0055] Please continue reading. Figure 14-17In some embodiments, the outer side of the fixing frame 502 is provided with a second mounting groove 506 along the circumferential direction. The second mounting groove 506 contains a plurality of rolling guide rails 507 distributed circumferentially along the fixing frame 502. The second mounting groove 506 also contains a plurality of second elastic components 508 corresponding one-to-one with the rolling guide rails 507. The second elastic components 508 are used to drive the corresponding rolling guide rails 507 away from the second mounting groove 506, so that the rolling elements 802 of the rolling guide rails 507 abut against the inner wall of the forming cylinder 11. Specifically, the fixing frame 502 has two fixed guide rails on its front, rear, left, and right sides, and these fixed guide rails are specifically needle roller guide rails. When the piston unit 5 moves vertically within the forming cylinder 11, the needle rollers of the needle roller guide rails roll into contact with the inner wall of the forming cylinder 11. The bottom of the fixing frame 502 is fixedly connected to a plurality of supporting base plates 510 corresponding one-to-one with the rolling guide rails 507. The outer side of the fixing frame 502 is provided with a plurality of third limiting grooves corresponding one-to-one with the elastic components. The second elastic component 508 includes a positioning block 5081, a positioning pin 5082, and a second elastic element 5083. The positioning block 5081 is groove-shaped, and the rolling guide rail 507 is disposed in the groove on the corresponding positioning block 5081. The positioning block 5081 is disposed between the corresponding support base plate 510 and the second mounting groove 506. The second elastic element 5083 is a spring. The inner side of the positioning block 5081 is provided with a fourth limiting groove. The second elastic element 5083 is disposed in a third limiting groove. One end of the positioning pin 5082 is inserted into the corresponding third limiting groove and abuts against the second elastic element 5083. The other end of the positioning pin 5082 is inserted into the corresponding fourth limiting groove and abuts against the fourth limiting groove.

[0056] Please see Figure 10 and Figure 13 To facilitate the removal of the forming cylinder 11, a horizontal transfer unit 8 is further included. The horizontal transfer unit 8 includes two parallel tracks 801, with the length of the tracks 801 arranged along the front-to-back direction. Support groups corresponding to the two tracks 801 are provided on the left and right sides of the forming cylinder 11. When the working end of the first lifting unit 6 descends to a preset height, the support groups are supported on the corresponding tracks 801. Several limiting members 14 are provided inside the forming cylinder 11 to support the piston unit 5.

[0057] Please see Figure 10 and Figure 13In some embodiments, the horizontal transfer unit 8 further includes two electric push rods 803 corresponding one-to-one with the two tracks 801. The working ends of the two electric push rods 803 correspond one-to-one with two support groups. The electric push rods 803 are fixedly connected to the corresponding tracks 801. The working ends of the electric push rods 803 are provided with top blocks 804. The support groups include two supports 13 distributed along the length direction of the tracks 801. The free ends of the top blocks 804 extend between the corresponding two supports 13. A plurality of rolling elements 802 are provided along the length direction of the tracks 801. When the working end of the first lifting unit 6 descends to a preset height position, the support groups are supported on the rolling elements 802 on the corresponding tracks 801. Specifically, the rolling elements 802 are omnidirectional balls, which can roll in any direction at a preset position on the tracks 801.

[0058] Please see 7 and Figure 8 In some embodiments, the bottom of the molding chamber body 1 is provided with two rows of overflow holes 20, which are located on the front and rear sides of the through hole 10, respectively. The powder spreading unit 4 spreads powder in the front and rear direction. When there is too much powder in the molding chamber, the excess metal powder can be discharged from the molding chamber body 1 through the overflow holes 20. The bottom side of the base plate 101 is fixedly connected with a return powder trough 15 corresponding to the two rows of overflow holes 20. The return powder trough 15 is connected to the interior of the molding chamber body 1 through the overflow holes 20, and the bottom of the return powder trough 15 is provided with a powder outlet. The return powder trough 15 is provided with a return powder assembly 9, which is used to transport the material in the return powder trough 15 to the powder outlet. The return powder assembly 9 includes a spiral shaft 902 and a return powder motor 901. The spiral shaft 902 is rotatably installed in the return powder trough 15, and the spiral shaft 902 is specifically a rotating shaft with spiral blades. A powder return motor 901 is fixedly connected to the outer side of one end of the powder return trough 15. The powder return motor 901 drives the screw shaft 902 to rotate, and the powder outlet is located near the powder return motor 901. The powder return motor 901 drives the screw shaft 902 to rotate, and the screw shaft 902 conveys the powder and other waste materials in the powder return trough 15 towards the powder outlet, thereby allowing the powder and waste materials to be discharged from the powder outlet. The powder outlet is connected to a powder discharge pipe 21, which is connected to a detachable movable powder tank 22. The movable powder tank 22 collects the powder and waste materials discharged from the powder return trough 15.

[0059] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 3In some embodiments, to maintain the cleanliness of the inert protective gas within the forming chamber during printing, an atmosphere unit 23 is further included. The atmosphere unit 23 is a filtration device, comprising an inlet pipe 2301, a filter assembly, a fan, and an exhaust pipe 2302 connected in sequence. The inlet of the filter assembly is connected to the interior of the forming chamber body 1 via the inlet pipe 2301, and the filter assembly is used to filter dust from the gas. The inlet of the fan is connected to the outlet of the filter assembly, and the outlet of the fan is connected to the interior of the forming chamber body 1 via the exhaust pipe 2302. The connection point between the inlet pipe 2301 and the forming chamber body 1 is located on the right side of the forming chamber body 1, and the connection point between the exhaust pipe 2302 and the forming chamber body 1 is located on the left side of the forming chamber body 1.

[0060] Please see Figure 3 In some embodiments, a hatch 24 is provided on the front side of the molding chamber body 1. The hatch 24 is hinged to the molding chamber body 1, allowing the molding chamber to be opened and connected to the outside. An observation window 25 is provided on the hatch 24, allowing observation of the situation inside the molding chamber body 1.

[0061] Please see Figure 1 In order to isolate the overall equipment from the external environment, a cover assembly 26 is further included. The cover assembly 26 covers the molding chamber body 1, four laser scanning units 2, feeding unit 3, powder spreading unit 4, molding cylinder 11, printing substrate 12, piston unit 5, first lifting unit 6, second lifting unit 7 and frame 16 on the inside. The cover assembly 26 has a window for the feeding unit 3, the hatch 24 of the molding chamber body 1 and the molding cylinder 11 to pass through.

[0062] Working principle: In use, the forming cylinder 11 is placed on the track 801. The top block 804 of the horizontal transfer unit 8 hooks onto the support 13 on the forming cylinder 11, thereby moving the forming cylinder 11 horizontally below the forming chamber body 1, so that the position of the printing substrate 12 corresponds to the through hole 10 at the bottom of the forming chamber body 1. At this time, the horizontal height of the lifting seat 603 of the first lifting unit 6 is lower than the horizontal height of the track 801. The lifting component 601 of the first lifting unit 6 drives the lifting seat 603 to rise. After the lifting seat 603 rises to a stop against the forming cylinder 11, the first lifting unit 6 drives the forming cylinder 11, piston unit 5, printing substrate 12 and second lifting unit 7 to rise until the top of the forming cylinder 11 touches the bottom of the forming chamber body 1, so that the forming cylinder 11 is connected to the forming chamber body 1. Then, the second lifting unit 7 drives the piston unit 5 and the printing substrate 12 to rise, so that the printing substrate 12 is located in the through hole 10, and the top surface of the printing substrate 12 is on the printing plane.

[0063] During laser scanning printing, metal powder is fed into the forming chamber body 1 by the feeding unit 3, and spread evenly on the printing surface by the powder spreading unit 4. The laser scanning unit 2 scans the metal powder on the printing surface, thus forming one layer of the printed part. After scanning one layer, the piston unit 5 and the printing substrate 12 are lowered by the second lifting unit 7, and the printed part is formed by scanning and printing layer by layer. The atmosphere unit 23 extracts the gas in the forming chamber body 1 outward, filters it through the filter assembly, and then sends it back into the forming chamber body 1, thereby reducing the dust carried by the gas in the forming chamber body 1. Excess powder and some waste material in the forming chamber enter the powder return tank 15 through the powder overflow hole 20, and under the drive of the spiral shaft 902, it passes through the powder outlet and the powder outlet pipe 21 in sequence, and finally enters the mobile powder tank 22.

[0064] When removing the printed part, the printed part is located inside the forming cylinder 11. The first lifting unit 6 lowers the forming cylinder 11 and the printed part inside it away from the forming chamber body 1, making it easier to remove the printed part. When removing the printed part, the forming cylinder 11 and the printed part are removed together. The cleaning of the printed part is carried out outside the forming chamber body 1, making the operation more convenient.

[0065] It should be noted that words indicating direction in this article, such as "up" and "down," are all in the format of "upper" and "lower." Figure 1 The direction setting is for ease of description only and has no other specific meaning.

[0066] It should also be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that an article or apparatus comprising a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such an article or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the article or apparatus that includes the aforementioned element.

[0067] This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this utility model. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the core ideas of this utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made to this utility model without departing from the principles of this utility model, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A 3D printer for metal forming, characterized in that, include: The molding chamber body (1) has a through hole (10) at its bottom. Several laser scanning units (2) are arranged on the upper side of the forming chamber body (1). The laser scanning units (2) can form printed parts by scanning metal powder on the printing plane with laser. Feeding unit (3) is provided on the side of the molding chamber body (1) and is used to feed metal powder into the molding chamber body (1); Powder spreading unit (4), the powder spreading unit (4) is set inside the molding chamber body (1), the powder spreading unit (4) is used to spread the metal powder fed into the molding chamber body (1) by the feeding unit (3) onto the printing plane; A cylindrical forming cylinder (11) is disposed below the forming chamber body (1); A printing substrate (12) is movably connected inside a molding cylinder (11), and the size of the printing substrate (12) matches the through hole (10). A piston unit (5) is slidably connected inside a molding cylinder (11), and a printing substrate (12) is disposed on top of the piston unit (5). The first lifting unit (6) can drive the molding cylinder (11) to rise and fall through its working end. When the top of the molding cylinder (11) abuts against the molding chamber body (1), the molding cylinder (11) is connected to the molding chamber body (1) through the through hole (10). The second lifting unit (7) can drive the piston unit (5) to rise and fall through its working end. The working end of the second lifting unit (7) is fixedly connected to the working end of the first lifting unit (6).

2. A 3D printer for metal forming according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first lifting unit (6) includes a lifting assembly (601), a fixed base (602), and a lifting seat (603). The lifting assembly (601) is fixedly connected to the fixed base (602), and the lifting seat (603) is fixedly connected to the working end of the lifting assembly (601). The forming cylinder (11) is supported on the lifting seat (603). The lifting assembly (601) can drive the lifting seat (603) to rise and fall through its working end. The lifting seat (603) is provided with a first clearance hole. The second lifting unit (7) is fixedly connected to the lower side of the lifting seat (603), and the working end of the second lifting unit (7) passes through the first clearance hole.

3. A 3D printer for metal forming according to claim 1, characterized in that, The piston unit (5) includes a piston seat (501), a fixing frame (502), a felt strip (503), and a first elastic component (504). The printing substrate (12) is disposed on the piston seat (501). The fixing frame (502) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the piston seat (501). A first mounting groove (505) is provided on the outer side of the fixing frame (502) along the circumferential direction. A plurality of felt strips (503) are provided in the first mounting groove (505). A plurality of first elastic components (504) are provided in the first mounting groove (505). The first elastic components (504) are used to drive the felt strips (503) away from the first mounting groove (505) so that the felt strips (503) are tightly attached to the inner wall of the molding cylinder (11).

4. A 3D printer for metal forming according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first elastic component (504) includes a movable block (5041) and a plurality of first elastic elements (5042), the two ends of which are connected to the fixed frame (502) and the movable block (5041) respectively.

5. A 3D printer for metal forming according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outer side of the fixing frame (502) is provided with a second mounting groove (506) along the circumferential direction. The second mounting groove (506) is provided with a plurality of rolling guide rails (507) distributed along the circumferential direction of the fixing frame (502). The second mounting groove (506) is provided with a plurality of second elastic components (508) corresponding one-to-one with the rolling guide rails (507). The second elastic components (508) are used to drive the corresponding rolling guide rails (507) away from the second mounting groove (506) so that the rolling body (802) of the rolling guide rail (507) abuts against the inner wall of the forming cylinder (11).

6. A 3D printer for metal forming according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, It also includes a horizontal transfer unit (8), which includes two parallel tracks (801). The two sides of the forming cylinder (11) are respectively provided with support groups corresponding to the two tracks (801). When the working end of the first lifting unit (6) descends to the preset height position, the support group is supported on the corresponding track (801). The forming cylinder (11) is provided with several limiting members (14), which are used to support the piston unit (5).

7. A 3D printer for metal forming according to claim 6, characterized in that, The horizontal transfer unit (8) also includes two electric push rods (803) corresponding to the two tracks (801) one by one. The working ends of the two electric push rods (803) correspond to the two support groups one by one. The electric push rods (803) are fixedly connected to the corresponding tracks (801). The working ends of the electric push rods (803) are provided with top blocks (804). The support groups include two supports (13) distributed along the length direction of the track (801). The free end of the top block (804) extends to the space between the two corresponding supports (13).

8. A 3D printer for metal forming according to claim 6, characterized in that, The track (801) is provided with a plurality of rolling elements (802) along its length. When the working end of the first lifting unit (6) descends to a preset height position, the support group is supported on the rolling elements (802) on the corresponding track (801).

9. A 3D printer for metal forming according to claim 1, characterized in that, A camera is provided on the top of the molding chamber body (1), and the camera is used to capture images of the printing plane inside the molding chamber body (1).

10. A 3D printer for metal forming according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the molding chamber body (1) is connected to two powder return troughs (15). The two powder return troughs (15) are located on both sides of the through hole (10) and distributed along the powder spreading direction. The bottom of the powder return trough (15) is provided with a powder outlet. The powder return trough (15) is provided with a powder return component (9). The powder return component (9) is used to transport the material in the powder return trough (15) to the powder outlet.

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