Powdering device

Abstract

A powder-spreading device, belonging to the field of additive manufacturing technology, is disclosed to solve the problems of space occupation, untimely cleaning, and reduced printing efficiency caused by using an independent cleaning mechanism in a powder spreader. The device includes a powder-spreading mechanism, a drive mechanism, a lifting mechanism, and a self-cleaning mechanism. The drive mechanism is located on the side wall along the length of the powder-spreading mechanism, the lifting mechanism is located below the drive mechanism, and the self-cleaning mechanism is located below the lifting mechanism. The self-cleaning mechanism is powered by the drive mechanism to clean the powder-spreading mechanism. The lifting mechanism switches the self-cleaning mechanism between a cleaning state and a non-cleaning state; that is, the drive mechanism drives the self-cleaning mechanism to perform the cleaning task; the lifting mechanism allows the self-cleaning mechanism to be in either a cleaning or non-cleaning state, facilitating powder spread. By incorporating a self-cleaning mechanism into the powder-spreading mechanism, the goal of cleaning each layer of powder after spreading is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of additive manufacturing technology, and in particular to a powder spreading device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, 3D printing technology is widely used in sand casting, and its printing precision requires a highly flat sand bed surface. However, existing sand-laying systems generally suffer from complex structures and low efficiency. Most sand-layers employ independent cleaning mechanisms, which not only occupy valuable internal space but also disrupt workflows. Specifically, when the sand-layer needs cleaning the scraper, it must be moved from the sand-laying station to a dedicated cleaning position, a process that is both time-consuming and disrupts continuous operation. Statistics show that the cleaning process of traditional sand-layers takes an average of 30-45 seconds per cycle. In mass production, this accumulated non-productive time significantly reduces overall printing efficiency. Furthermore, independent cleaning mechanisms increase equipment manufacturing costs and maintenance difficulty; their complex mechanical structures are more prone to failure, further impacting production stability. This design flaw is particularly pronounced in large sand-casting equipment, as the larger printing area requires a longer travel distance, making the cleaning process even more time-consuming. Optimizing the structural design of the sand spreader to achieve self-cleaning or in-situ cleaning functions of the scraper and reduce unnecessary movement time has become a key technical challenge for improving the overall performance of 3D printing equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the problems caused by the independent cleaning mechanism of the above sand spreader, such as occupying equipment space, untimely cleaning, and affecting printing efficiency, it is necessary to propose a powder spreading device with a self-cleaning function, which can perform self-cleaning between powder spreading and printing, which not only reduces the overall size of the equipment, but also improves cleaning efficiency.

[0004] A powder spreading device includes a powder spreading mechanism, a driving mechanism, a lifting mechanism, and a self-cleaning mechanism. The driving mechanism is disposed on the side wall along the length of the powder spreading mechanism, the lifting mechanism is disposed below the driving mechanism, and the self-cleaning mechanism is disposed below the lifting mechanism. The self-cleaning mechanism is powered by the driving mechanism to clean the powder spreading mechanism. The lifting mechanism is used to switch the self-cleaning mechanism between a cleaning state and a non-cleaning state; that is, the driving mechanism is used to drive the self-cleaning mechanism to perform cleaning tasks; the lifting mechanism is used to put the self-cleaning mechanism in a cleaning state or a non-cleaning state, that is, to switch between the two states. The self-cleaning mechanism is used to clean the powder spreading mechanism to facilitate powder spreading.

[0005] Furthermore, the driving mechanism includes a power component, a transmission component, and a connecting component. The transmission component is arranged along the side wall of the powder spreading mechanism. One end of the connecting component is connected to the power component, and the other end is connected to the lifting mechanism. The power component passes through the connecting component and is connected to the transmission component, so as to enable the transmission component to drive the connecting component to move along the length of the powder spreading mechanism.

[0006] Furthermore, the driving mechanism also includes a guide member, one end of which is connected to the middle of the connector, and the other end is arranged along the side wall of the powder spreading mechanism. The guide member is parallel to the transmission member, and the distance between the guide member and the powder spreading surface is smaller. By adding a guide member connected to the middle of the connector, the connector is fixed at two points, improving the stability of the connector during movement and resulting in better cleaning effect.

[0007] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism is a cylinder structure. By extending and shortening the cylinder structure, the self-cleaning mechanism can be raised and lowered, thereby enabling the self-cleaning mechanism to switch between cleaning and non-cleaning states. The connecting part and the cleaning part are connected through the lifting mechanism.

[0008] Furthermore, the self-cleaning mechanism includes a cleaning component, one end of which is connected to the lifting mechanism and the other end is suspended. In the cleaning state, the lifting mechanism descends, placing the cleaning component below and close to the powder scraper and powder inlet to clean the powder spreading mechanism. In the non-cleaning state, the lifting mechanism rises, making the distance between the lowest end face of the cleaning component and the powder spreading surface greater than the distance between the powder inlet and the powder spreading surface, thereby avoiding the impact of the cleaning component on the powder spreading surface during the powder spreading process.

[0009] The beneficial effects of this utility model's technical solution are as follows: By setting a self-cleaning mechanism on the powder spreading mechanism, the purpose of cleaning can be achieved after each layer of powder is spread. When the powder spreading mechanism moves to the standby area or buffer area, if it is necessary to clean the powder drop port or scraper of the powder spreading mechanism, the cleaning component can be driven to perform one, two, or three cleanings, etc., achieving cleaning at any time. This avoids the space occupied by setting up a cleaning structure in the standby area, and also avoids the problem of having to wait for the powder spreading mechanism to return to the standby area for cleaning. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the powder spreading device of this utility model in a non-cleaning state;

[0011] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning state of the powder spreading device of this utility model;

[0012] Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the powder spreading device of this utility model in the sand-cleaning state (GG direction).

[0013] Among them, 100-drive mechanism; 101-rack; 102-gear; 103-motor; 104-guide component; 200-lifting mechanism; 201-cylinder; 300-self-cleaning mechanism; 301-cleaning component; 400-powder spreading mechanism; 401-sand scraper. Detailed Implementation

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this utility model, the technical solution of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the following description is some typical embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other solutions can be obtained based on these embodiments without creative effort.

[0015] In one implementation environment, based on the original intent of this utility model, the technical solution of this utility model is implemented in a sand mold 3D printing equipment. The powder spreading mechanism of this utility model is a sand spreader of the sand mold 3D printing equipment. To maximize the working space, the powder spreader is designed as a long strip structure. The powder spreader has a powder inlet and a scraper plate (referred to here as a sand scraper plate) to make the powder surface smoother and more compact. This technical solution is used to clean the sand inlet / powder inlet and the scraper plate / powder scraper of the sand spreader. Specifically, as follows... Figure 1-3 As shown.

[0016] In this embodiment, the powder spreading device applied to a sand mold 3D printing equipment includes a powder spreading mechanism 400, a driving mechanism 100, a lifting mechanism 200, and a self-cleaning mechanism 300. The driving mechanism 100 is disposed on the side wall along the length of the powder spreading mechanism 400, the lifting mechanism 200 is disposed below the driving mechanism 100, and the self-cleaning mechanism 300 is disposed below the lifting mechanism 200. The self-cleaning mechanism 300 is powered by the driving mechanism 100 to clean the powder spreading mechanism 400. The lifting mechanism 200 is used to switch the self-cleaning mechanism 300 between a cleaning state and a non-cleaning state. Specifically, the driving mechanism 100 can carry the self-cleaning mechanism 300 freely along the length of the powder spreading mechanism 400, so that the self-cleaning mechanism 300 can clean the powder dropper and the powder scraper 401 along the length of the powder spreading mechanism 400, thereby achieving self-cleaning of the powder spreading mechanism 400.

[0017] As a supplement to this embodiment, the driving mechanism 100 includes a power component, a transmission component, a guide component 104, and a connecting component. The guide component 104 is arranged along the length of the powder spreading device and is parallel to the driving component, meaning the driving component is also arranged along the length of the powder spreading device. The power component is connected to the transmission component to drive it. The transmission component is connected to the connecting component to transmit power to the self-cleaning mechanism 300, enabling the self-cleaning mechanism 300 to perform its cleaning operation. One end of the connecting component is connected to the transmission component, and the other end is connected to the guide component 104, allowing the connecting component to move smoothly along the length of the powder spreading mechanism 400. In this embodiment, the power component is a motor 103, the transmission component is a gear 102 and a rack 101, the guide component 104 is a combination of a guide rail and a slider, and the connecting component is a connecting plate with a certain width and thickness that can bear a certain weight and ensure stable operation without shaking. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the rack 101 is disposed on the side wall of the outer shell of the powder spreading mechanism 400 along its length. The gear 102 meshes with the rack 101. The motor 103 is disposed on the side of the connecting plate opposite to the transmission component, and its output shaft passes through the connecting plate and is connected to the gear 102, thus realizing the connection between the power component and the transmission component and realizing the transmission and conversion of power. The guide 104 is connected to the middle of the connecting plate, and the slider of the guide 104 is fixedly disposed on the side of the connecting plate facing the powder spreading mechanism 400. The guide rail is disposed on the side wall of the powder spreading mechanism 400 along its length and is parallel to the rack 101. The guide rail and the rack 101 ensure the stable operation of the connecting plate on the powder spreading mechanism 400. Figure 3 As shown, the guide rail is located below the rack, that is, the rack and the guide rail are arranged parallel to each other on the side wall of the powder spreading mechanism along the length direction, and the guide rail is closer to the powder spreading surface than the rack. At the same time, the guide rail is located in the middle of the connecting plate.

[0018] As a further supplement to this embodiment, the guide rail is a ball-head guide rail, which improves the smoothness and stability of the sliding mechanism 100.

[0019] As a supplement to this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 200 is a cylinder structure. The self-cleaning mechanism 300 is raised and lowered by extending and shortening the cylinder structure, thereby switching between cleaning and non-cleaning states. The connecting member and the cleaning member are connected via the lifting mechanism 200. In this embodiment, to save space and reduce the weight of the lifting mechanism 200, the self-cleaning mechanism 300 is raised or lowered relative to the powder-spreading surface. Specifically, the lifting mechanism is a cylinder, with the cylinder body located at the lower end of the connecting member near the powder-spreading surface. The cylinder's extension rod is connected to the self-cleaning mechanism.

[0020] As a supplement to this embodiment, the self-cleaning mechanism 300 includes a cleaning component. One end of the cleaning component is connected to the lifting mechanism 200, and the other end is suspended. In the cleaning state, the lifting mechanism 200 descends, placing the cleaning component below and in close contact with the powder scraper 401 and the powder inlet, for cleaning the powder spreading mechanism 400. In the non-cleaning state, the lifting mechanism 200 rises, making the distance between the lowest end face of the cleaning component and the powder spreading surface greater than the distance between the powder inlet and the powder spreading surface, thereby avoiding the influence of the cleaning component on the powder spreading surface during the powder spreading process. In this embodiment, the cleaning component includes a support component and a cleaning component 301. One end of the support component is connected to the lifting mechanism 200, and the suspended end of the support component is provided with the cleaning component 301. The position of the cleaning component 301 corresponds to the powder scraper 401 in the width direction of the powder spreading mechanism 400. Specifically, the cleaning component 301 can be made of a soft material with sand-absorbing properties, such as a sponge.

[0021] As a further supplement to this embodiment, the cleaning component 301 is snapped into the suspended end of the support, which enables convenient replacement of the cleaning component 301 and avoids the impact of replacing the cleaning component 301 on printing efficiency.

[0022] As a further supplement to this embodiment, the self-cleaning mechanism 300 also includes a pneumatic mechanism disposed at either end of the powder spreading mechanism 400 along its length. In this embodiment, the pneumatic mechanism is an air gun, which is used to clean the self-cleaning mechanism 300 in a non-cleaning state to remove powder adhering to the self-cleaning mechanism 300, especially to clean or remove powder suspended on the self-cleaning mechanism 300, thereby avoiding powder falling during the powder spreading operation of the powder spreading mechanism 400 and causing powder spreading surface quality problems. Specifically, the pneumatic mechanism can be disposed on the left or right end face of the powder spreading mechanism along its length, and the high-pressure gas of the pneumatic mechanism can share a common air source with the cylinder of the lifting mechanism, thereby reducing the number of mechanisms required on the powder spreading mechanism, simplifying the structure of the powder spreading device, and reducing the weight of the powder spreading device.

[0023] As a further supplement to this embodiment, the self-cleaning mechanism 300 also includes a brush roller disposed at either end of the powder spreading mechanism 400 along its length. The brush roller is used to clean or sanitize the self-cleaning mechanism 300 in a non-cleaning state, removing powder adhering to the self-cleaning mechanism 300, particularly cleaning or sanitizing powder suspended on the self-cleaning mechanism 300, thereby preventing powder from falling during the powder spreading operation of the powder spreading mechanism 400 and causing powder spreading surface quality problems. Specifically, the brush roller can be disposed on the left or right end face along the length of the powder spreading mechanism.

[0024] In another embodiment, the operation process of the powder spreading device of this utility model is as follows:

[0025] 1) After receiving the powder spreading task, the powder spreading mechanism receives the powder in the standby area;

[0026] 2) Lay the first layer of powder according to the powder spreading parameters;

[0027] 3) According to the setting of cleaning after laying two layers, when the second layer is laid, the lifting mechanism will lower the self-cleaning mechanism, and the drive mechanism will drive the self-cleaning mechanism to clean the scraper plate by wiping.

[0028] 4) After cleaning, the powder spreading mechanism continues to spread powder according to the powder spreading parameters;

[0029] 5) When the fourth layer is laid, the lifting mechanism will lower the self-cleaning mechanism, and the drive mechanism will drive the self-cleaning mechanism to clean the scraper plate by wiping.

[0030] 6) After the self-cleaning mechanism has cleaned about ten times, clean or replace the self-cleaning mechanism to ensure the cleaning effect;

[0031] 7) By printing and cleaning layer by layer, the entire workpiece is printed and the powder spreading mechanism is cleaned during the printing process, resulting in better quality of the powder-spreading surface and higher printing efficiency.

[0032] By applying this technical solution to sand mold 3D printing equipment, the sand mold 3D printing equipment no longer needs to have a dedicated cleaning structure for the sand spreader, saving the construction space of the sand mold 3D printing equipment and reducing the manufacturing difficulty and cost. At the same time, by setting the self-cleaning mechanism on the sand spreader, the sand drop port and scraper can be cleaned after each layer is laid, which provides a function that can be cleaned at any time while ensuring the printing efficiency of the sand mold 3D printing equipment.

[0033] The above embodiments are merely descriptions of a typical application of the technical solution of this utility model. Reasonable extensions can be made without requiring creative effort.

Claims

1. A powder spreading device, characterized in that, It includes a powder spreading mechanism, a drive mechanism, a lifting mechanism, and a self-cleaning mechanism. The drive mechanism is located on the side wall along the length of the powder spreading mechanism, the lifting mechanism is located below the drive mechanism, and the self-cleaning mechanism is located below the lifting mechanism. The drive mechanism is used to drive the self-cleaning mechanism to perform cleaning tasks. The lifting mechanism is used to put the self-cleaning mechanism into a cleaning state or a non-cleaning state. The self-cleaning mechanism is used to clean the powder spreading mechanism. The self-cleaning mechanism includes a cleaning component, one end of which is connected to the lifting mechanism and the other end is suspended. In the cleaning state, the lifting mechanism descends, placing the cleaning component below and close to the powder scraper and powder outlet to clean the powder spreading mechanism. In the non-cleaning state, the lifting mechanism rises, making the distance between the lowest end face of the cleaning component and the powder spreading surface greater than the distance between the powder outlet and the powder spreading surface.

2. The powder spreading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning component includes a cleaning component and a support component. One end of the support component is connected to the lifting mechanism, and the cleaning component is provided at the suspended end of the support component. The position of the cleaning component is opposite to the powder scraper in the width direction of the powder spreading mechanism.

3. The powder spreading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The driving mechanism includes a power component, a transmission component, and a connecting component. The transmission component is arranged along the side wall of the powder spreading mechanism. One end of the connecting component is connected to the power component, and the other end is connected to the lifting mechanism. The power component passes through the connecting component and is connected to the transmission component.

4. The powder spreading device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The driving mechanism also includes a guide member, one end of which is connected to the middle of the connector, and the other end is arranged along the side wall of the powder spreading mechanism. The guide member is arranged parallel to the transmission member.

5. The powder spreading device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The transmission components are meshing racks and gears, with the racks laid along the length of the powder spreading mechanism on the side wall of the powder spreading mechanism.

6. The powder spreading device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The guide is a combination of a guide rail and a slider. The guide rail is laid on the side wall of the powder spreading mechanism along the length of the powder spreading mechanism and is closer to the powder spreading surface than the rack.

7. The powder spreading device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism is a cylinder, with the cylinder body located at the lower end of the connector near the powder-spreading surface, and the cylinder's extension rod connected to the self-cleaning mechanism.

8. The powder spreading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The self-cleaning mechanism also includes a pneumatic mechanism located at either end of the powder spreading mechanism along its length.

9. The powder spreading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The self-cleaning mechanism also includes a hair roller disposed at either end of the powder spreading mechanism along its length.

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