Coaxial wire-powder simultaneous feeding multi-wavelength laser-arc hybrid processing head, and method
By designing a multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head with coaxial wire and powder feeding, the problems of molding size limitation and low material utilization rate in existing laser metal additive technology are solved, and efficient multi-wavelength laser composite additive manufacturing is realized, which is suitable for the high-quality manufacturing of complex metal components.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/CN2024/094462
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-03-18
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-21
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-25
AI Technical Summary
Among existing laser metal additive technologies, powder bed fusion technology has problems such as limited molding size, low material utilization, inability to use external axis displacement, and unsuitability for repair operations. In addition, the coaxial wire feeding solution lacks a multi-wavelength light source composite laser processing head.
A multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head with coaxial wire and powder feeding was designed, which includes a control module, a wire drawing mechanism and a multi-beam laser head. It integrates a sensor, a wire drawing motor, a wire guide sleeve, a mirror group adjustment module and a protective mirror module. It can realize multi-wavelength laser compounding and support arc and laser melting welding/additive manufacturing.
It achieves laser additive manufacturing with high surface quality, is suitable for integrated additive manufacturing of complex metal components, supports multi-wavelength light source compounding, improves deposition rate and molding quality, and is suitable for scientific research, product proofing and high-end manufacturing.
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Figure CN2024094462_25092025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head and method for coaxial wire and powder feeding Technical Field
[0001] The invention relates to a multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head and method for coaxial wire and powder simultaneous feeding welding / material adding, belonging to the technical field of laser processing. Background Art
[0002] When it comes to laser metal additive manufacturing, powder bed fusion (PBF) is the most widely known technology. Besides PBF, another important branch of laser metal additive manufacturing is laser directed energy deposition (DED-LB). While mature and widely used, PBF also has inherent drawbacks compared to DED-LB. Its signature powder bed structure imposes numerous limitations, including: build size is limited to the powder-laying mechanism; material utilization is low; external axis displacement cannot be used; and it is unsuitable for repair operations.
[0003] In the early days of DED-LB, metal powder was commonly fed by powder spraying or side-axis wire feeding. Compared to powder feeding, wire feeding can achieve higher deposition rates and molding quality, and is very suitable for heterogeneous isomorphic additive manufacturing. It also has great economic advantages. Coaxial wire feeding is even better than side-axis wire feeding, and can bring better isotropic uniformity to workpiece molding. Through reasonable layout, it is also possible to achieve simultaneous feeding of wire and powder. On the basis of coaxial wire feeding, the composition of the deposited layer can be adjusted with the help of powder, realizing additive manufacturing of uncommon materials at a lower cost, while also having the functions of separate wire feeding / powder feeding.
[0004] Currently, coaxial wire feeding solutions can be divided into three types based on their implementation methods: multi-beam coaxial technology, multi-beam integrated coaxial technology, and ring-beam coaxial technology. Multi-beam integrated coaxial technology offers advantages such as a simple optical path, a relatively compact structure, and low cost. Because each light source in multi-beam integrated coaxial technology is independent, it is proposed that lasers of different wavelengths can be combined to achieve the effect of multi-wavelength light source compounding according to process requirements.
[0005] Multi-wavelength composite lasers can optimize deposition processes. Research has already been conducted on composite welding using red and blue lasers. This combination of red and blue lasers can enhance the absorption of red light by highly reflective metals, increasing penetration depth. Furthermore, blue lasers are currently expensive and have relatively low maximum power. Combining them with red lasers can achieve the same output power at a lower cost.
[0006] Summary of the Invention
[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art and provide a multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head for coaxial wire and powder feeding additive / welding.
[0008] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solutions adopted by the present invention are as follows:
[0009] A multi-wavelength light source composite laser processing head for coaxial wire and powder feeding additive manufacturing, comprising a control module, a wire drawing mechanism and a multi-beam laser head;
[0010] The control module includes a sensor for detecting whether the welding wire passes through;
[0011] In the wire drawing mechanism, the wire drawing assembly is driven by a wire drawing motor to draw and retract the welding wire between two axially opposite wire drawing nozzles;
[0012] The multi-beam laser head includes a wire guide sleeve coaxial with the wire drawing nozzle in the wire drawing mechanism and capable of accommodating the welding wire to pass through, two access blocks with accommodating cavities sleeved on one end of the outer side of the wire guide sleeve, one or more groups of mirror group adjustment modules and corresponding protective mirror modules arranged around the wire guide sleeve; a replaceable nozzle is provided at the end of the wire guide sleeve; the nozzle has two inner and outer double cavities formed by respectively penetrating the access blocks.
[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a conductive module interface, one end of which is connected to the welding wire through a conductive component, and the other end is connected to an external power supply to realize a variety of laser composite processes.
[0014] Furthermore, it also includes a welding wire quick socket arranged on the outside, wherein the welding wire quick socket is axially matched with the welding wire quick plug-in unit and the first welding wire quick plug-in unit joint in the control module and the second welding wire quick plug-in unit joint in the wire drawing mechanism to form a pluggable welding wire passage;
[0015] Furthermore, the control module includes an elastic movable pair for elastically stopping the groove on the first welding wire quick-plug connector.
[0016] Furthermore, the wire drawing assembly includes an active wire drawing wheel and a follower wire drawing wheel arranged on both sides of the axis of the two wire drawing nozzles; it also includes a movable spring moving pair for elastically stopping the groove on the second welding wire quick-plug connector and a wire pressing screw pair for adjusting the wire pressing of the follower wire drawing wheel.
[0017] Furthermore, a shielding gas nozzle is provided in the nozzle, and the shielding gas nozzle is sleeved on the wire guide tube clamping sleeve at the other end of the outside of the wire guide sleeve; the external space formed by the shielding gas nozzle and the nozzle is connected to one of the access blocks to form an external cavity for outputting compressed air; the internal space between the shielding gas nozzle and the wire guide tube clamping sleeve is connected to the other access block to form an internal cavity for outputting inert shielding gas.
[0018] Furthermore, the multi-beam laser head further comprises a conductive nozzle with one end extending out of the nozzle to clamp the welding wire, and the other end of the conductive nozzle is connected to the conductive rod in the wire drawing mechanism via a conductive component;
[0019] When the conductive rod is connected to one pole of the external hot wire power supply, the base plate is connected to the other pole of the hot wire power supply, and the welding wire held by the conductive nozzle touches the base plate, an electrical circuit is formed to electrically heat the welding wire;
[0020] When the conductive rod is connected to one pole of an external arc welding power supply and the base plate is connected to the other pole of the arc welding power supply, an arc is formed between the welding wire and the base plate through the cooperation of the wire drawing mechanism, and the welding wire is melted to realize arc laser hybrid welding / additive processing.
[0021] Furthermore, the replaceable nozzle is a powder feeding nozzle, and the powder feeding nozzle is provided with a loop or multiple powder feeding channels.
[0022] Furthermore, the lens group adjustment module includes a tilt adjustment plate, a lens group mounting seat, a lens group mounted in the lens group mounting seat, and a precision thread pair for adjusting the lens group mounting seat and the lens group;
[0023] The precision thread pair is installed on the tilt adjustment plate, and the end is pressed against the lens group mounting seat; a tension spring that applies tension is provided between the tilt adjustment plate and the lens group mounting seat, and a steel ball is clamped between the tilt adjustment plate and the lens group mounting seat as an adjustment fulcrum.
[0024] Furthermore, the mirror group adjustment module further includes an annular water cooling block and a side water cooling block;
[0025] The annular water cooling block passes through the tilt adjustment plate and is clamped into the lens group mounting seat through a rubber ring; a side water cooling block is installed on the side of the lens group mounting seat; and quick plug connectors are installed on the water inlets and outlets of the annular water cooling block and the side water cooling block.
[0026] Furthermore, the protective lens module includes a protective lens and a protective lens compartment for accommodating the protective lens;
[0027] A pan-seal ring and a protective lens pressure ring are respectively provided on both sides of the protective lens.
[0028] Furthermore, it also includes an ultrasonic transducer, which is arranged between the wire drawing mechanism and the multi-beam laser head, and the ultrasonic transducer is used to make the welding wire ultrasonically vibrate.
[0029] The control method of the multi-wavelength light source composite laser processing head for coaxial wire and powder feeding additive manufacturing based on any of the above items comprises the following steps:
[0030] Step 1: When receiving the laser instruction, start recording the time when the welding wire touches the substrate;
[0031] Step 2: The annular proximity sensor detects whether there is a signal that the welding wire passes through; when the welding wire passes through, the wire drawing motor is controlled to rotate continuously to push the welding wire out for wire feeding;
[0032] Step 3: The wire touch detection module detects whether there is a detection voltage or current signal on the substrate;
[0033] When the welding wire touch detection module detects a detection voltage or current signal on the substrate, it sends a "wire ready" signal to the PLC. At the same time, the wire feeding of the wire drawing motor is paused, and the welding wire touch detection module is disconnected from the welding wire electrical circuit; then the PLC controls the laser to emit light.
[0034] When the welding wire touch detection module does not detect a detection voltage or current signal on the substrate, it determines whether the time the currently recorded welding wire touches the substrate exceeds the preset time value. If it exceeds the preset time value, it issues a "welding wire not ready" alarm signal and terminates the laser action; if it does not exceed the preset time value, it returns to step 2.
[0035] The beneficial effects achieved by the present invention are:
[0036] The laser processing head of the present invention can be installed at the end of various motion mechanisms and can be used for integrated additive manufacturing of complex metal components with high surface quality requirements.
[0037] The mirror adjustment module is independently set up and can be quickly disassembled and connected to the external optical fiber, which can quickly set up a working condition with different wavelengths. The mirror adjustment module can be fine-tuned to facilitate multi-beam focusing.
[0038] By integrating the conductive rod, conductive block, contact block, and conductive nozzle that holds the welding wire, an external hot wire power source is connected to the base plate and the conductive rod. When the welding wire touches the base plate, an electrical circuit is formed. Current is then conducted to the welding wire through the conductive nozzle, achieving controlled heating of the welding wire. Furthermore, the voltage and current generated on the base plate by the detection circuit can be used as a condition to determine whether the laser is emitting.
[0039] When the conductive rod is connected to one terminal of an external MIG or MAG welding power source and the base plate is connected to the other terminal of the MIG or MAG welding power source, an arc is formed between the welding wire and the base plate through the wire drawing mechanism, melting the welding wire and achieving MIG or MAG welding. This process can be combined with the laser light source to achieve the effect of auxiliary laser fusing or process combination.
[0040] The timing of laser light emission is determined by signals such as whether the wire feeder is producing wire, the operating signal fed back by the motor, the presence of welding wire detected by the sensor, and whether the welding wire touches the substrate, so as to determine the transition state of the molten pool in the additive process.
[0041] The present invention can select a combination of laser light sources of different wavelengths according to the requirements of materials and processes, achieve the effect of multi-wavelength light source composite, and realize high-surface quality laser additive / welding, multi-wavelength laser composite additive / welding, laser fuse / powder feeding / wire-powder simultaneous additive / welding; it has a wide range of application scenarios in scientific research, product proofing and high-end manufacturing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0042] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a laser processing head in this embodiment (the optical fiber is not shown in the figure);
[0043] Figure 2 is a right side view of Figure 1;
[0044] FIG3 is an outline diagram of the control module in FIG1 ;
[0045] FIG4 is an exploded view of the control module in FIG3 ;
[0046] FIG5 is an outline view of the wire drawing mechanism in FIG1 ;
[0047] FIG6 is an exploded view of the wire drawing mechanism in FIG5 ;
[0048] FIG7 is an enlarged view of the assembly position of the wire drawing assembly and the welding wire quick-insert mounting plate inside the wire drawing mechanism in FIG5 ;
[0049] FIG8 is an enlarged view of the assembly position of the wire drawing assembly and the movable spring moving pair inside the wire drawing mechanism in FIG5 (the wire quick-insert mounting plate is hidden);
[0050] FIG9 is an outline view of the multi-beam laser head in FIG1 ;
[0051] FIG10 is an exploded view of the multi-beam laser head in FIG9 ;
[0052] FIG11 is an outline view of the lens adjustment module in FIG10 ;
[0053] FIG12 is an exploded view of the lens assembly adjustment module in FIG11 ;
[0054] FIG13 is an outline view of the protective mirror module in FIG10;
[0055] FIG14 is an exploded view of the protective mirror module in FIG13 ;
[0056] FIG15 is a flow chart of the control method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0057] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0058] Example 1
[0059] As shown in FIG1 and FIG2 , the multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head for coaxial wire powder feeding disclosed in this embodiment mainly includes the following components:
[0060] Cable corrugated tube 1: used for cable bundling.
[0061] Control module 2: mainly includes gas circuit switch control elements, control buttons, cable connectors, etc., which control some important conditions of the laser wire filling cladding process.
[0062] Wire drawing mechanism 3: This mechanism is composed of a servo motor-driven wire drawing wheel located above the multi-beam laser head 6. It can draw and retract the welding wire. It also has an inlet for the hot wire power cable.
[0063] Wire quick connector 4: The wire path can be connected manually and quickly.
[0064] Optical fiber 5: The main transmission carrier of laser, which loads the laser onto the mirror group in the multi-beam laser head 6.
[0065] Multi-beam laser head 6: A laser processing head composed of 6 single-wavelength or multi-wavelength mixed lasers, integrating air positive pressure protection and inert gas molten pool protection. By replacing the lower end nozzle, wire feeding inside the laser and powder feeding outside the laser can be achieved.
[0066] Optical fiber bracket 7: used to fix the optical fiber to avoid damage to the optical fiber.
[0067] Mounting base plate 8: used to fix the wire drawing mechanism 3, the control module 2 and to be mounted on the end shaft of the six-axis robot, and to enable application in multiple scenarios by adding flanges and other methods.
[0068] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the control module 2 includes a welding wire quick-plug 21, an insulated welding wire detection protection shaft 22, an annular proximity sensor 23, a bellows mounting cover 24, a support 25, a welding wire detection mounting base 26, a welding wire connection transition piece 27, a welding wire quick-plug connector 28, an insulating mounting plate 29, a mounting sheet metal 210, and an outer cover shell 212.
[0069] The welding wire quick plug-in unit 21 is used for manually and quickly connecting the welding wire pipe. A hollow insulated welding wire detection protection shaft 22 made of plastic is installed on it. The welding wire can pass through the insulated welding wire detection protection shaft 22. The insulated welding wire detection protection shaft 22 is inserted into the annular proximity sensor 23. The annular proximity sensor 23 is used to detect whether there is welding wire passing through the insulated welding wire detection protection shaft 22.
[0070] The bellows installation cover plate 24 is disposed on the upper end of the installation base plate 8 and the outer cover shell 212, and covers the installation space for accommodating the control module 2. The cable bellows 1 is connected to the bellows installation cover plate 24.
[0071] One end of the pillar 25 is installed on the mounting base 8, and the other end is installed on the welding wire detection mounting base 26. The welding wire detection mounting base 26 is elevated and supported in the installation space formed by the outer cover shell 212 and the mounting base 8, so as to facilitate the line arrangement in the internal space formed between the mounting base 8 and the welding wire detection mounting base 26.
[0072] The wire connector transition piece 27 is mounted on the wire detection mounting base 26 via an insulating mounting plate 29, providing insulation. A spring gland 271, spring 272, and retaining pin 273 are installed within the wire connector transition piece 27, forming an elastically movable pair that elastically retains the groove 281 on the wire quick-insert connector 28, facilitating quick insertion and removal.
[0073] The welding wire quick plug-in plug 281 is installed on the welding wire quick plug-in connector 28 to fix the external wire guide tube of the welding wire.
[0074] The outer cover 212 is mounted on the mounting base plate 8 to form an installation space for accommodating the control module 2 .
[0075] The mounting sheet metal 210 is disposed on the mounting base plate 8 and adjacent to the outer cover shell 212 . The mounting sheet metal 210 and the outer cover shell 212 jointly protect the control module 2 .
[0076] A button 211 connected to the PLC is installed on the button installation sheet 210 and is used to control wire drawing, wire drawing, protective gas supply, and switching the laser teaching red light.
[0077] As shown in Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8, the wire drawing mechanism 3 includes a driving structure 31 installed on the mounting base 8, a wire drawing wheel mounting plate 32, a wire drawing assembly 33 driven by the driving structure 31 for wire drawing, a welding wire quick-insert mounting plate 34, a movable spring moving pair 35, a wire pressing screw pair 36, a conductive rod 37, and a welding wire quick-insert connector 38.
[0078] The driving structure 31 includes a wire drawing machine motor housing 311 , a wire drawing motor 312 and a driving wheel mounting drive shaft 313 .
[0079] One end of the wire drawing machine motor housing 311 is mounted on the mounting base 8, which serves to fix the entire wire drawing mechanism. The other end of the wire drawing machine motor housing 311 is mounted on the wire drawing wheel mounting plate 32. The wire drawing motor 312 is arranged inside the wire drawing machine motor housing 311 and mounted on the wire drawing wheel mounting plate 32. One end of the driving wheel mounting drive shaft 313 is connected to the rotating end of the wire drawing motor 312, and the other end is connected to the wire drawing assembly 33. The wire drawing assembly is driven by the wire drawing motor 312 and serves as the power source for wire drawing.
[0080] The wire drawing assembly 33 includes a driving wire drawing wheel 331 , a driven wire drawing wheel 332 , a wire drawing wheel pressure arm 333 , an insulating sleeve 334 and a wire pressing member shaft 335 .
[0081] The active wire drawing wheel 331 is mounted on the rotating end of the wire drawing motor 312 via the active wheel mounting drive shaft 313 and is driven by the wire drawing motor 312 as a wire drawing power source.
[0082] The follower drawing wheel 332 and its insulating sleeve 334 are rotatably mounted on the drawing wheel pressure arm 333 , and the drawing wheel pressure arm 333 is rotatably disposed on the drawing wheel mounting plate 32 via the wire pressing member shaft 335 .
[0083] The wire drawing pressure arm stop pin 3331 and the wire drawing screw pressure arm stop pin 3332 are both installed on the wire drawing wheel pressure arm 333 .
[0084] The wire quick-insert mounting plate 34 is mounted on the drawing wheel mounting plate 32. Mounted on this plate is a movable spring pair 35, consisting of a pin cap 351, a spring 352, an insulating sleeve 353 for the quick-insert pin, an insulating sleeve 354 for the quick-insert pin end, and a quick-insert pin 355. This movable spring pair 35 facilitates quick wire insertion. Also mounted is a wire-pressing screw pair 36, consisting of a clamping screw 361, a retaining arm, a spring, and a drawing screw ring 362. This clamping screw pair 36 compresses the drawing wheel pressure arm 333, forcing the main and follower drawing wheels into contact with the wire, applying pressure to the clamped wire and thus achieving wire drawing.
[0085] The conductive rod 37 is inserted into the drawing wheel mounting plate 32 through the upper and lower conductive rod insulating sleeves 371, and one end can be electrically connected to the cable connector in the control module 2 through the hot wire power cable access port, and the other end passes through the drawing wheel mounting plate 32 and is connected to the conductive block 67 in the multi-beam laser head 6, and the welding wire can be electrically heated by PLC control.
[0086] The surface of the wire quick-connect mounting plate 34 facing the control module 2 includes a mounting hole coaxial with the wire quick-connect connector 28, into which the wire quick-connect connector 38 can be inserted. Inside the wire quick-connect mounting plate 34, two sets of plastic bearings 341 are coaxial with the mounting hole and accommodate the wire quick-connect connector 38. This facilitates insertion and removal of the wire quick-connect connector 38 and also provides insulation.
[0087] The other end of the welding wire quick plug-in connector 38 can be connected to the wire drawing nozzle 381, and the other end of the wire drawing nozzle 381 is installed with a wire drawing plastic nozzle 382.
[0088] A wire drawing outlet tube mounting block 39 is also mounted on the wire drawing wheel mounting plate 32. A wire drawing outlet tube 391 is mounted on the wire drawing outlet tube mounting block 39 in an axial direction with respect to the welding wire quick-plug connector 38. A wire drawing plastic outlet nozzle 392 is mounted on one end of the wire drawing outlet tube 391 facing the wire drawing plastic outlet nozzle 382, opposite to the wire drawing plastic outlet nozzle 382. The other end of the wire drawing outlet tube 391 is connected to the wire guide sleeve 682 in the multi-beam laser head 6.
[0089] A driving wire drawing wheel 331 and a follower wire drawing wheel 332 are arranged on both sides of the axis between the wire drawing plastic wire outlet nozzle 382 and the wire drawing plastic wire outlet nozzle 392, so that the driving wire drawing wheel 331 and the follower wire drawing wheel 332 can be movably clamped on the side wall of the welding wire between the wire drawing plastic wire outlet nozzle 382 and the wire drawing plastic wire outlet nozzle 392.
[0090] A wire drawing outer cover 321 is installed on the side of the wire drawing wheel mounting plate 32, and a wire drawing front cover 322 is installed on the end of the wire drawing wheel mounting plate 32 facing the control module 2, which can protect the wire drawing assembly 33, welding wire quick-insert mounting plate 34, movable spring moving pair 35, wire pressing screw pair 36 and welding wire quick-insert connector 38 in the enclosed internal space, and facilitate disassembly and maintenance.
[0091] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the multi-beam laser head 6 includes a mounting body 61, a conductive component mounting seat 62 arranged on the mounting body 61, a protective gas access block 63, an air access block 64, an insulating docking block 66, an electric contact docking block 65, a conductive block 67, a guide wire assembly 68, a spraying assembly 69, a mirror group adjustment module 610 and a protective mirror module 620.
[0092] The conductive component mounting seat 6 is sleeved in the protective gas access block 63 and is together sleeved in the air access block 64 to form an inner and outer double cavity for passing protective gas and compressed air.
[0093] The air inlet block 64 is mounted on the mounting flange 641 and is mounted on the mounting body 61 through the mounting flange 641 for receiving gas.
[0094] The conductive block 67 is mounted on the conductive assembly mounting base 62 and is disposed between the wire drawing mechanism 3 and the multi-beam laser head 6. The conductive block 67 contacts the conductive rod 37 in the wire drawing mechanism 3. The conductive block 67 is separated from the entire multi-beam laser head 6 by upper and lower conductive block insulating pads 671 and conductive assembly insulating pads 672.
[0095] An insulating docking block 66 is provided in the conductive component mounting seat 62 , and an electric contact docking block 65 is provided in the insulating docking block 66 .
[0096] The guide wire assembly 68 includes a guide wire tube transition piece 681 , a guide wire sleeve 682 , a guide wire tube clamping sleeve 683 and an insulating sleeve 684 .
[0097] One end of the wire guide tube transition piece 681 is inserted into the electric shock docking block 65. The other end of the wire guide tube transition piece 681 is inserted into the wire guide tube clamping sleeve 683. One end of the wire guide tube clamping sleeve 683 is installed on the installation body 61 through the insulating sleeve 684 set thereon. The other end of the wire guide tube clamping sleeve 683 is sleeved with a protective gas nozzle 691.
[0098] A wire guide sleeve 682 communicating with the wire drawing outlet tube 391 is provided through the wire guide tube transition piece 681 . The welding wire passing through the wire drawing outlet tube 391 can axially pass through the wire guide sleeve 682 and extend to the conductive nozzle 693 .
[0099] The spraying assembly 69 includes a shielding gas nozzle 691 , a conductive nozzle 693 , a nozzle 692 or a four-way powder feeding nozzle 694 .
[0100] The shielding gas nozzle 691 is sleeved and mounted on the wire guide tube clamping sleeve 683 to shape the shielding gas flow.
[0101] Nozzle 692 is mounted on the mounting body 61 and surrounds the shielding gas nozzle 691. It receives compressed air, creating an internal positive pressure and preventing external dust from entering and contaminating the protective mirror. The internal space between the shielding gas nozzle 691 and the wire guide clamping sleeve 683 communicates with the shielding gas access block 63 to carry inert shielding gas, protecting the molten welding wire / powder from oxidation during the cladding process. The external space formed by the shielding gas nozzle 691 and nozzle 692 communicates with the air access block 64 to carry compressed air, protecting the protective mirror 623 in the protective mirror module 620 from contamination.
[0102] The conductive nozzle 693 is installed on the wire guide tube clamping sleeve 683, which plays the role of clamping the contact welding wire, facilitating the straightening of the welding wire, and is connected to the wire guide tube transition piece 681, and is connected to the electric contact docking block 65 through the wire guide tube transition piece 681, and then connected to the conductive rod 37 through the conductive block 67.
[0103] The device also includes a conductive module interface, one end of which is connected to the welding wire through a conductive component and the other end is connected to an external power supply to achieve various laser composite processes. The external power supply can be a hot wire power supply or an arc welding power supply.
[0104] In this embodiment, an external hot wire power supply is connected to the base plate at one end and to the conductive rod 37 at the other. A conductive nozzle holds the welding wire. When the welding wire touches the base plate, an electrical circuit is formed. Current is conducted to the welding wire through the conductive nozzle, heating the welding wire. Furthermore, the voltage and current of this circuit can be used to determine whether the laser is emitting.
[0105] In other embodiments, when the conductive rod is connected to one terminal of an external arc welding power source and the base plate is connected to the other terminal of the arc welding power source, a wire drawing mechanism can be used to form an arc between the welding wire and the base plate, melting the welding wire and achieving arc welding. This process can be combined with a laser light source to achieve the effect of auxiliary laser fusing or process combination. Arc welding can be either MIG welding or MAG welding.
[0106] In other embodiments, the nozzle may be replaced by a powder feeding nozzle, which is provided with a loop or multiple powder feeding channels, such as a four-way powder feeding nozzle.
[0107] One or more mirror adjustment modules 610 and corresponding protective mirror modules 620 are also installed on the mounting body 61 .
[0108] The lens adjustment module 610 primarily shapes and focuses the laser beam, utilizing an XY dual-axis fine-tuning mechanism to fine-tune the laser focus. The protective lens module 620 protects the collimating and focusing lenses within the lens assembly, preventing external dust contamination and scattered light. Furthermore, by replacing the lens adjustment module 610, multiple laser wavelengths can be freely switched, enabling a variety of different usage scenarios using a single wavelength or a combination of multiple wavelengths, maximizing the compatibility of laser cladding operations on a variety of materials.
[0109] 11 and 12 , the lens group adjustment module 610 includes a tilt adjustment plate 613 , a lens group mounting seat 616 , a lens group 6161 mounted in the lens group mounting seat 616 , and a precision thread pair 614 for adjusting the lens group mounting seat 616 and the lens group 6161 .
[0110] A precision threaded pair 614 is threadedly mounted on the tilt adjustment plate 613 and rests against the lens assembly mounting seat 616 to fine-tune the tilt of the tilt adjustment plate 613 in the X and Y directions, thereby adjusting the lens assembly mounting seat 616 and the lens assembly 6161. A steel ball 617 is clamped between the tilt adjustment plate 613 and the lens assembly mounting seat 616 as an adjustment fulcrum. A tension spring 615 applies tension between the tilt adjustment plate 613 and the lens assembly mounting seat 616, and a pin secures the ends of the tension spring to the tilt adjustment plate 613 and the lens assembly mounting seat 616, respectively. The tension spring 615, pin, and steel ball 617 form a multi-point support between the tilt adjustment plate 613 and the lens assembly mounting seat 616, and adjustment is achieved by threading the precision threaded pair 614. Fine adjustment of the lens assembly facilitates multi-beam focusing.
[0111] The tilt adjustment plate 613 has a through hole in its center that accommodates an annular water-cooling block 6121. This block is inserted into the lens assembly mounting base 616 via a rubber ring 618 to prevent dust. Side water-cooling blocks 6122 are mounted on the sides of the lens assembly mounting base 616.
[0112] The quick-connect connector 611 is installed on the annular water-cooling block 6121 and the side water-cooling block 6122 to form the water inlet and outlet. Water enters the annular water-cooling block 6121 and the side water-cooling block 6122 through the quick-connect connector 611 and the inlet, and then flows through the outlet for water cooling and temperature adjustment, thereby adjusting the temperature of the adjustment mirror group mounting seat 616 and the mirror group 6161.
[0113] The O-ring 6191 is located between the protective mirror cover 619 and the mirror assembly mounting seat 616 to act as a seal to prevent dust from entering the mirror assembly mounting seat 616 .
[0114] The captive screws 6192 are used to fasten the protective mirror cover 619 to the mirror assembly mounting base 616, making it easy to disassemble and install.
[0115] The mirror group adjustment module 610 is independently provided and can be quickly disassembled. The optical fiber 5 is externally provided and can be connected to the mirror groups 6161 in the mirror group adjustment module 610 respectively, so as to quickly establish a working condition of combining different wavelengths.
[0116] As shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 , the protective mirror module 620 includes a protective mirror 623 located on the same center line as the corresponding mirror group 6161 and a protective mirror chamber 625 for accommodating the protective mirror 623 .
[0117] The protective lens 623 is placed on the universal ring 624 and pressed down into the protective lens chamber 625 by the protective lens pressing ring 621. The universal ring 624 is elastic and can firmly clamp the protective lens 623 in the middle.
[0118] A protective lens pressing ring 622 is embedded in the protective lens pressing ring 621 , which can press the protective lens 623 without damaging the protective lens 623 .
[0119] Captive screws 626 secure the protective mirror housing 625 to the mounting body 61 for easy replacement and disassembly.
[0120] An installation position is also reserved on the multi-beam laser head 6, which is convenient for adding a molten pool detection camera, weld detection or an external atmosphere shield to form a low-oxygen environment for cladding operations on active metals.
[0121] The laser processing head of this product can be installed at the end of various motion mechanisms. The molding size mainly depends on the size of the motion mechanism. It can be used for integrated additive manufacturing of complex metal components with high surface quality requirements. Different laser light source combinations can be selected according to material and process requirements; the silk and powder co-feeding function can also meet the manufacturing needs of uncommon standard brand materials. It has a wide range of application scenarios in scientific research, product proofing and high-end manufacturing.
[0122] Example 2
[0123] Based on Example 1, this example discloses a control method for a multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head for coaxial wire and powder feeding, as shown in FIG15 .
[0124] The annular proximity sensor 23 in the control module is used to detect whether a welding wire passes through.
[0125] The wire drawing motor in the wire drawing mechanism 3 feeds back the operation signal to the PLC. The wire drawing motor can be controlled by the PLC and can also be started and stopped manually.
[0126] The wire contact detection module detects the presence of a voltage or current signal on the substrate, which serves as a criterion for determining whether the laser should be emitted. When one terminal of an external hot wire power supply is connected to the substrate and the other terminal to the conductive rod 37, and the conductive tip 693 holds the welding wire against the substrate to form an electrical circuit, the wire contact detection module detects the voltage or current signal generated on the substrate.
[0127] The timing of laser light emission is determined by the operation signal fed back by the wire drawing motor, the signal of the presence of welding wire detected by the annular proximity sensor, and the signal of whether the welding wire touches the substrate detected by the welding wire touch detection module, so as to judge the transition state of the molten pool in the additive process.
[0128] When feeding the wire for the first time, the welding wire is usually inserted into the laser processing head manually and the wire drawing motor is started to feed the wire.
[0129] The specific control methods are as follows:
[0130] Step 1: PLC receives the light-emitting instruction from the host computer;
[0131] Start recording the time when the welding wire touches the substrate;
[0132] Step 2: The annular proximity sensor 23 detects a signal indicating that a welding wire has passed through. When the welding wire has passed through, the wire drawing motor is controlled to rotate continuously to push the welding wire out for wire feeding. When no welding wire has passed through, it indicates that the wire reel is empty and the wire reel can be replaced and the wire can be fed again. At the same time, the wire drawing motor can be paused to avoid idling.
[0133] Step 3: The wire touch detection module detects whether there is a detection voltage or current signal on the substrate.
[0134] When the wire contact detection module detects a detection voltage or current signal on the substrate, it indicates that the wire has been fed to the substrate to form an electrical circuit. The wire contact detection module feeds back a "wire ready" signal to the PLC. At the same time, the wire drawing motor pauses feeding the wire (to ensure that the laser is emitted before the wire is drawn to prevent the front end of the wire from melting). The wire contact detection module disconnects from the wire electrical circuit to protect the wire contact detection module from being damaged by the hot wire. The PLC then controls the laser to emit light.
[0135] When the welding wire touch detection module does not detect a detection voltage or current signal on the substrate, it determines whether the time the currently recorded welding wire touches the substrate exceeds the preset time value. If it exceeds the preset time value, it issues a "welding wire not ready" alarm signal and terminates the light-emitting action; if it does not exceed the preset time value, it returns to step 2.
[0136] Until the work is completed.
[0137] Example 3
[0138] In addition to Example 1, the laser processing head of this embodiment further includes an ultrasonic transducer, which is positioned between the wire drawing mechanism and the multi-beam laser head. The ultrasonic transducer causes the welding wire to vibrate ultrasonically within the molten pool, improving the internal grain size of the solidified metal, enhancing mechanical properties, and refining the grain size at the microscopic level. Furthermore, it stirs the molten pool at the macroscopic level, reducing weld porosity.
[0139] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head with coaxial wire and powder feeding, characterized by: It includes a control module, a wire drawing mechanism and a multi-beam laser head; The control module includes a sensor for detecting whether the welding wire passes through; In the wire drawing mechanism, the wire drawing assembly is driven by a wire drawing motor to draw and retract the welding wire between two axially opposite wire drawing nozzles; The multi-beam laser head includes a wire guide sleeve coaxial with the wire drawing nozzle in the wire drawing mechanism and capable of accommodating the welding wire to pass through, two access blocks with accommodating cavities sleeved on one end of the outer side of the wire guide sleeve, one or more groups of mirror group adjustment modules and corresponding protective mirror modules arranged around the wire guide sleeve; a replaceable nozzle is provided at the end of the wire guide sleeve; the nozzle has two inner and outer double cavities formed by respectively penetrating the access blocks.
2. The multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head for coaxial wire and powder feeding according to claim 1 is characterized in that: It also includes a conductive module interface, one end of which is connected to the welding wire through a conductive component, and the other end is connected to an external power supply to realize multiple laser composite processes.
3. The multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head for coaxial wire and powder feeding according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The device also includes a welding wire quick socket arranged on the outside, which is axially matched with the welding wire quick plug-in unit and the first welding wire quick plug-in unit joint in the control module and the second welding wire quick plug-in unit joint in the wire drawing mechanism to form a pluggable welding wire passage.
4. The multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head for coaxial wire and powder feeding according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The control module includes an elastic moving pair for elastically stopping the groove on the first welding wire quick-plug connector.
5. The multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head for coaxial wire and powder feeding according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The wire drawing assembly includes an active wire drawing wheel and a follower wire drawing wheel arranged on both sides of the axis of the two wire drawing nozzles; it also includes a movable spring moving pair for elastically stopping the groove on the second welding wire quick-plug connector and a wire pressing screw pair for adjusting the wire pressing of the follower wire drawing wheel.
6. The multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head for coaxial wire and powder feeding according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A shielding gas nozzle is arranged in the nozzle, and the shielding gas nozzle is sleeved on the wire guide tube clamping sleeve at the other end of the outside of the wire guide sleeve; the outer space formed by the shielding gas nozzle and the nozzle is connected with one of the access blocks to form an outer cavity for outputting compressed air; the inner space between the shielding gas nozzle and the wire guide tube clamping sleeve is connected with the other access block to form an inner cavity for outputting inert shielding gas.
7. The multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head for coaxial wire and powder feeding according to claim 1, 2 or 5, characterized in that: The multi-beam laser head also includes a conductive nozzle with one end extending out of the nozzle to clamp the welding wire, and the other end of the conductive nozzle is connected to the conductive rod in the wire drawing mechanism through the conductive component; When the conductive rod is connected to one pole of the external hot wire power supply, the base plate is connected to the other pole of the hot wire power supply, and the welding wire held by the conductive nozzle touches the base plate, an electrical circuit is formed to electrically heat the welding wire; When the conductive rod is connected to one pole of an external arc welding power supply and the base plate is connected to the other pole of the arc welding power supply, an arc is formed between the welding wire and the base plate through the cooperation of the wire drawing mechanism, and the welding wire is melted to realize arc laser hybrid welding / additive processing.
8. The multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head for coaxial wire and powder feeding according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The replaceable nozzle is a powder feeding nozzle, and the powder feeding nozzle is provided with a loop or multiple powder feeding channels.
9. The multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head for coaxial wire and powder feeding according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The lens group adjustment module includes a tilt adjustment plate, a lens group mounting seat, a lens group mounted in the lens group mounting seat, and a precision thread pair for adjusting the lens group mounting seat and the lens group; The precision thread pair is installed on the tilt adjustment plate, and the end is pressed against the lens group mounting seat; a tension spring that applies tension is provided between the tilt adjustment plate and the lens group mounting seat, and a steel ball is clamped between the tilt adjustment plate and the lens group mounting seat as an adjustment fulcrum.
10. The multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head for coaxial wire and powder feeding according to claim 9, characterized in that: The mirror group adjustment module also includes an annular water cooling block and a side water cooling block; The annular water cooling block passes through the tilt adjustment plate and is clamped into the lens group mounting seat through a rubber ring; a side water cooling block is installed on the side of the lens group mounting seat; and quick plug connectors are installed on the water inlets and outlets of the annular water cooling block and the side water cooling block.
11. The multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head for coaxial wire and powder feeding according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protective lens module includes a protective lens and a protective lens compartment for accommodating the protective lens; A pan-seal ring and a protective lens pressure ring are respectively provided on both sides of the protective lens.
12. The multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head for coaxial wire and powder feeding according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an ultrasonic transducer, which is arranged between the wire drawing mechanism and the multi-beam laser head, and the ultrasonic transducer is used to make the welding wire ultrasonically vibrate.
13. A control method for a multi-wavelength light source arc composite laser processing head with coaxial wire and powder feeding according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1: When receiving the laser instruction, start recording the time when the welding wire touches the substrate; Step 2: The annular proximity sensor detects whether there is a signal that the welding wire passes through; when the welding wire passes through, the wire drawing motor is controlled to rotate continuously to push the welding wire out for wire feeding; Step 3: The wire touch detection module detects whether there is a detection voltage or current signal on the substrate; When the welding wire touch detection module detects the detection voltage or current signal on the substrate, it sends a "wire ready" signal to the PLC. At the same time, the wire feeding of the wire drawing motor is suspended, and the welding wire touch detection module is disconnected from the welding wire circuit; then the PLC controls the activation The optical device emits light. When the welding wire contact detection module does not detect the detection voltage or current signal on the substrate, it determines whether the time the currently recorded welding wire touches the substrate exceeds the preset time value. If it exceeds the preset time value, it issues a "wire not ready" alarm signal and stops the laser action; If the preset time value is not exceeded, return to step 2.
Citation Information
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