Friction stir additive manufacturing device, and control method

Abstract

A friction stir additive manufacturing device, and a control method. The friction stir additive manufacturing device comprises: a wire feeding mechanism and an additive manufacturing welding tool; the wire feeding mechanism comprises: a wire feeder, the wire feeder being adapted to drive wire material to be fed into an additive manufacturing welding tool; a first bracket, the first bracket being located at the rear end of the wire feeder, and the first bracket being adapted to elastically deform in the vertical direction; and a wire feeding nozzle, the wire feeding nozzle being located at the rear end of the first bracket, the wire feeding nozzle being adapted to rotate in the horizontal direction, one end of the wire feeding nozzle extending obliquely towards a main shaft of the additive manufacturing welding tool, and the aperture of an inlet of the wire feeding nozzle being greater than the aperture of an outlet of the wire feeding nozzle.

Description

Friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus and control method

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] The present application is based on the Chinese patent application No. 202411280172.9, filed on September 12, 2024, and claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411280172.9, and the entire contents of the Chinese patent application No. 202411280172.9 are hereby incorporated by reference into the present application. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application relates to the field of friction stir additive manufacturing technology, in particular to a friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus and control method. BACKGROUND

[0004] In the wire feeding process of friction stir additive manufacturing, the wire needs to be continuously fed to realize continuous additive manufacturing. However, since the additive manufacturing welding tool cuts the wire in a discontinuous process, the wire may be blocked. In addition, the additive manufacturing welding tool has a reciprocating process of cutting and not cutting the wire, which may also cause the wire to bear a large stress, thereby possibly causing the welding tool to deform and increasing the difficulty of wire feeding.

[0005] To solve these problems, the present application provides a friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus. SUMMARY

[0006] The purpose of the present application is to solve the problem that the wire is blocked due to the discontinuous process of cutting the wire by the additive manufacturing welding tool in the prior art.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, on the one hand, the present application provides a friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a wire feeding mechanism and an additive manufacturing welding tool; the wire feeding mechanism comprises: a wire feeder, the wire feeder is adapted to drive the wire to feed to the additive manufacturing welding tool; a first support, the first support is located at the rear end of the wire feeder, the first support is adapted to elastically deform along the vertical direction; a wire feeding nozzle, the wire feeding nozzle is located at the rear end of the first support, and the wire feeding nozzle is adapted to rotate along the horizontal direction, one end of the wire feeding nozzle extends obliquely towards the spindle of the additive manufacturing welding tool, the aperture of the inlet of the wire feeding nozzle is larger than the aperture of the outlet of the wire feeding nozzle.

[0008] The advantages of the friction stir additive manufacturing equipment over the prior art are that the first support is adapted to elastically deform in the vertical direction. When the wire is blocked, the first support can deform to absorb the deformation resistance and reduce the stress of the wire. When the wire is normally fed, the first support can deform to recover and facilitate the absorption of stress next time. In addition, the wire feeding nozzle is adapted to rotate in the horizontal direction, which can adaptively change to avoid wire blocking. Therefore, even if the additive manufacturing welding tool cuts the wire intermittently, the wire feeding mechanism of the present application can adaptively deform to prevent wire blocking and improve the smoothness of wire feeding.

[0009] In some embodiments, the wire feeding mechanism further comprises a second support connected with the first support, and the wire feeding nozzle is rotatably connected with the first support through the second support.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first support is provided with a vertical sliding groove, and the second support is slidably installed in the sliding groove.

[0011] In some embodiments, the second support comprises a rotating part, at least part of the second support extends out of the sliding groove to form the rotating part; a wire feeding part, the wire feeding nozzle is installed on the wire feeding part, the wire feeding part is rotatably connected to the rotating part in the horizontal direction, wherein one side of the rotating part facing the wire feeding nozzle is a circular arc surface, the wire feeding part is provided with a rotating groove matched with the shape of the circular arc surface, so that the circular arc surface is fitted in the rotating groove.

[0012] In some embodiments, the wire feeding mechanism comprises a rack provided on one side of the additive manufacturing welding tool; a wire feeding pipe provided on the rack; a wire guide nozzle provided on the rack and opposite to the wire feeding pipe; a transmission mechanism provided on the rack and located between the wire feeding pipe and the wire guide nozzle, the transmission mechanism is used for feeding the wire in the wire feeding pipe to the wire guide nozzle, and the wire in the wire guide nozzle is fed to the wire feeding nozzle.

[0013] In some embodiments, the transmission mechanism comprises two wire feeding wheels, the two wire feeding wheels are axially parallel, the wire passes between the two wire feeding wheels, so that the wire feeding wheels drive the wire to the wire guide nozzle; a driving member, the driving member is power-coupled connected with the two wire feeding wheels to drive the wire feeding wheels to rotate.

[0014] In some embodiments, the driving member comprises a driving motor; a first transmission shaft rotatably installed on the rack, the input end of the first transmission shaft is power-coupled connected with the output end of the driving motor, and the output end of the first transmission shaft is fixedly connected with one of the wire feeding wheels.

[0015] In some embodiments, the wire feeder comprises a guide part and a driving part, the driving part is located at one end of the guide part away from the first transmission shaft, the guide parts of the two wire feeders are adapted to clamp the wire, and the driving parts of the two wire feeders are configured as intermeshing gears.

[0016] In some embodiments, the driving motor is connected with the first transmission shaft through a turning piece, the turning piece comprises a second transmission shaft, the second transmission shaft is rotatably installed on the frame, the axis of the second transmission shaft is perpendicular to the axis of the first transmission shaft, the second transmission shaft comprises a first shaft segment and a second shaft segment connected with each other, the diameter of the first shaft segment is greater than the diameter of the second shaft segment, one end of the first shaft segment has a key groove, the output end of the driving motor is connected with the key groove through a spline, and the length of the output end of the driving motor located in the key groove is less than the groove depth of the key groove; a first bevel gear is arranged on the second shaft segment; and a second bevel gear is arranged on the first transmission shaft, and the first bevel gear is engaged with the second bevel gear.

[0017] In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing welding tool comprises a shaft shoulder, a feeding channel is arranged in the shaft shoulder, a feeding port is arranged on the side of the shaft shoulder and communicates with the feeding channel, and the wire feeder is adapted to drive the wire to be fed into the feeding port; a feeding rod is arranged in the feeding channel and can rotate around the axis direction of the shaft shoulder.

[0018] In some embodiments, the feeding rod is a threaded rod.

[0019] In some embodiments, the bottom of the feeding rod is provided with a stirring needle.

[0020] In another aspect, the application further provides a control method of the friction stir additive manufacturing equipment, the control method is used for controlling the friction stir additive manufacturing equipment described in the above technical solutions, and the control method comprises the following steps: S1, feeding the wire into the wire feeding pipe, so that one end of the wire is clamped between the two wire feeders and extends between the two wire feeders to the wire guide nozzle, and then is fed into the wire feeding nozzle from the wire guide nozzle; S2, starting the driving motor to rotate at a predetermined speed, thereby driving the wire feeder to rotate, continuously feeding the wire into the wire feeding nozzle through the transmission mechanism, and the position of the wire feeding nozzle is adaptively changed; and S3, the wire feeding nozzle further feeds the wire to the additive manufacturing welding tool to realize the wire feeding process.

[0021] The control method of the friction stir additive manufacturing equipment has the same advantages as the friction stir additive manufacturing equipment described above with respect to the prior art, and will not be described here again. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the wire feeding mechanism according to an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the first bracket and the second bracket according to an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the fit between the wire feed nozzle and the additive manufacturing welding fixture according to an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the transmission mechanism according to an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 5 is a flowchart of the control method of the friction stir additive manufacturing equipment according to an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Reference numerals: 10, wire feeding mechanism; 11, wire feeder; 111, frame; 112, wire feeding tube; 113, wire guide nozzle; 12, first support; 13, wire feeding nozzle; 131, inlet; 132, outlet; 14, second support; 141, chute; 142, rotating part; 143, wire feeding part; 144, rotating groove; 20, additive manufacturing welding tool; 21, shoulder; 21a, feeding channel; 21b, feeding port; 22, feeding rod; 30, transmission mechanism; 31, wire feeding wheel; 311, guide part; 312, drive part; 32, drive component; 321, drive motor; 322, first transmission shaft; 33, steering component; 331, second transmission shaft; 332, first bevel gear; 333, second bevel gear. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0030] Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a friction stir additive manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present application is described, including a wire feeding mechanism 10 and an additive manufacturing tool 20, the wire feeding mechanism 10 being used to feed wire to the additive manufacturing tool 20. The wire feeding mechanism 10 includes a wire feeder 11, a first bracket 12, and a wire feeding nozzle 13, the wire feeder 11 being adapted to drive wire to the additive manufacturing tool 20. The first bracket 12 is located at the rear end of the wire feeder 11, and the first bracket 12 is adapted to elastically deform in the vertical direction, i.e., the first bracket 12 can adaptively deform with the movement of the wire, thereby moving the wire feeding nozzle 13 mounted on the first bracket 12, the elastic deformation of the first bracket 12 with the movement of the wire enables the wire feeding nozzle 13 to adaptively change the feeding speed of the wire or the swing of the wire, wherein the elastic deformation of the first bracket 12 is that the first bracket 12 maintains a fixed shape when not under stress, deforms and stores elastic potential energy when stressed by the swing of the wire, and has the ability to restore the fixed shape when the first bracket 12 is not stressed, thereby enabling the first bracket 12 to move with the wire, and thereby adaptively change the feeding speed of the wire and the swing of the wire, and when wire blocking occurs, the first bracket 12 can elastically deform in the vertical direction to absorb the deformation resistance, thereby preventing wire blocking. The wire feeding nozzle 13 is located at the rear end of the first bracket 12, and the wire feeding nozzle 13 is adapted to rotate in the horizontal direction, i.e., the wire feeding nozzle 13 can rotate and the rotation axis is in the horizontal direction, the wire feeding nozzle 13 will rotate along the horizontal axis when subjected to the pressure of wire feeding, thereby causing the end of the wire feeding nozzle 13 to move closer to or away from the additive manufacturing tool 20. One end of the wire feeding nozzle 13 extends obliquely toward the spindle of the additive manufacturing tool 20. The wire feeding nozzle 13 can adjust the direction according to the actual situation to ensure that the wire can be accurately fed to the additive manufacturing tool 20, and when wire blocking occurs, the wire feeding nozzle 13 can rotate to adapt to the deformation of the wire.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, the aperture of the inlet 131 of the wire feeding nozzle 13 is larger than the aperture of the outlet 132 of the wire feeding nozzle 13, so that when the wire is input from the inlet 131 of the wire feeding nozzle 13, the edge at the inlet 131 can provide a margin for the disturbance of the wire to prevent the wire from being broken due to excessive constraint, and after the wire is output from the outlet 132 of the wire feeding nozzle 13, the wire feeding process can be limited to enable the wire to be better fed to the additive manufacturing tool 20 through the wire feeding nozzle 13.

[0032] Specifically, in the embodiments of the present application, the direction of the wire feeding is taken as the reference direction, one end in the wire feeding direction is defined as the front end, and the wire will first reach this end when it moves along this direction; the other end opposite to the front end is defined as the rear end, and the wire will last reach this end when it moves along the reference direction. In the embodiments of the present application, the length direction of the wire feeding mechanism 10 is taken as the reference, the direction along the length direction of the wire feeding mechanism 10 is defined as the horizontal direction, that is, the X direction shown in FIG. 1, and the direction along the height direction of the wire feeding mechanism 10 is defined as the vertical direction, that is, the Y direction shown in FIG. 1. The first support 12 has a fixed end connected with the additive manufacturing welding tool 20 and a movable end arranged opposite to the fixed end, the movable end of the first support 12 extends away from the additive manufacturing welding tool 20, and when the first support 12 is not under stress, it maintains a fixed shape, and when the wire blocking occurs, the pressure of the wire acting on the first support 12 will cause the movable end of the first support 12 to elastically deform upward or downward with the fixed end as the base point.

[0033] In some specific examples, the first support 12 is configured as a plate structure including a first plate and a second plate, and the first plate and the second plate are arranged horizontally, wherein the area of the first plate is larger than that of the second plate, and the first plate is fixedly connected with one side of the additive manufacturing welding tool 20, and the second plate can be integrally formed with the first plate and extends horizontally away from the side of the additive manufacturing welding tool 20. By connecting the first plate with a larger area with the additive manufacturing welding tool 20, the stability of the installation of the wire feeding nozzle 13 can be improved.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present application, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the wire feeding mechanism 10 further includes a second support 14, the second support 14 is connected with the first support 12, and the wire feeding nozzle 13 is rotatably connected with the first support 12 through the second support 14. By providing the second support 14, the wire feeding nozzle 13 is stably supported, so that the wire feeding nozzle 13 can be smoothly and accurately rotated to the required position.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present application, referring to FIG. 2, the first support 12 is provided with a vertical sliding groove 141, and the second support 14 is slidably installed in the sliding groove 141. The second support 14 and the sliding groove 141 can be connected by bolts, so as to adjust the position of the second support 14 relative to the first support 12. By limiting the vertical sliding groove 141, the height of the whole wire feeding nozzle 13 can be adjusted, and then the specific position of the wire feeding nozzle 13 can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0036] In some specific examples, the first support 12 further comprises a third plate fixedly connected with the lower end surface of the second plate, and the third plate is vertically arranged. The sliding groove 141 is formed in the third plate, and a plurality of sliding grooves 141 can be arranged in the horizontal direction of the third plate. The second support 14 is formed with a plurality of vertical strip-shaped grooves corresponding to the plurality of sliding grooves 141. At least one bolt is arranged in each sliding groove 141. The first support 12 and the second support 14 are connected by the bolts sequentially penetrating the sliding grooves 141 and the corresponding strip-shaped grooves. By arranging a plurality of sliding grooves 141 and a plurality of strip-shaped grooves, the contact area of the first support 12 and the second support 14 can be increased, thereby improving the connection stability of the first support 12 and the second support 14.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the present application, referring to FIG. 2, the second support 14 comprises a rotating part 142 and a wire feeding part 143. At least part of the second support 14 extends out of the sliding groove 141 to form the rotating part 142. The wire feeding nozzle 13 is mounted on the wire feeding part 143. The wire feeding part 143 is rotatably connected to the rotating part 142 in the horizontal direction. The side of the rotating part 142 facing the wire feeding nozzle 13 is a circular arc surface. The wire feeding part 143 is provided with a rotating groove 144 matching the shape of the circular arc surface, so that the circular arc surface is fitted in the rotating groove 144.

[0038] Since the wire feeding part 143 is rotatably connected to the rotating part 142 in the horizontal direction, the position of the wire feeding nozzle 13 can be flexibly adjusted according to the processing needs. The side of the rotating part 142 facing the wire feeding nozzle 13 is a circular arc surface, and the wire feeding part 143 is provided with a rotating groove 144 matching the shape of the circular arc surface. This matching mode allows the circular arc surface to move smoothly in the rotating groove 144 when the wire feeding part 143 is adjusted in angle, reducing the shaking or displacement of the wire feeding nozzle 13 caused by unstable connection, thereby improving the stability of the entire wire feeding system.

[0039] In some specific examples, the wire feeding nozzle 13 is mounted on one end of the wire feeding part 143 facing the additive manufacturing welding tool 20. The other end of the wire feeding part 143 away from the additive manufacturing welding tool 20 is formed with a guide hole. The axis of the guide hole and the axis of the wire feeding nozzle 13 are located on the same straight line. The end of the wire material passes through the guide hole and enters the wire feeding nozzle 13, and is then delivered to the additive manufacturing welding tool 20 through the wire feeding nozzle 13. The diameter of the guide hole is larger than the diameter of the wire material, so that the wire material can be adjusted within a certain range in the guide hole, reducing the friction between the wire material and the wire feeding part 143. Preferably, the diameter of the guide hole decreases from the end away from the wire feeding nozzle 13 to the end adjacent to the wire feeding nozzle 13, so as to smoothly guide the wire material into the wire feeding nozzle 13.

[0040] According to one embodiment of the present application, referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the wire feeder 11 comprises a rack 111, a wire feeding pipe 112, a wire guide nozzle 113 and a transmission mechanism 30, the rack 111 is arranged on one side of the additive manufacturing welding tool 20 to improve the compactness of the overall structural layout, the wire feeding pipe 112 is arranged on the rack 111, the wire guide nozzle 113 is arranged on the rack 111 and opposite to the wire feeding pipe 112, the transmission mechanism 30 is arranged on the rack 111 and between the wire feeding pipe 112 and the wire guide nozzle 113, the end of the wire feeding pipe 112 close to the transmission mechanism 30 is aligned with the end of the wire guide nozzle 113 close to the transmission mechanism 30, the transmission mechanism 30 is used to deliver the wire in the wire feeding pipe 112 to the wire guide nozzle 113 to avoid the wire bending during the delivery process and improve the stability of the wire delivery process, and the wire in the wire guide nozzle 113 is delivered to the wire nozzle 13.

[0041] According to one embodiment of the present application, referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 4, the transmission mechanism 30 comprises two wire feeding wheels 31 and a driving member 32, the two wire feeding wheels 31 are axially parallel, the wire passes between the two wire feeding wheels 31, so that the wire feeding wheel 31 drives the wire to the wire guide nozzle 113, and the driving member 32 is power-coupled connected with the two wire feeding wheels 31 to drive the wire feeding wheel 31 to rotate.

[0042] Specifically, the axes of the two wire feeding wheels 31 are arranged in the vertical direction, the wire passes between the two wire feeding wheels 31, the two wire feeding wheels 31 are driven to rotate by the driving member 32, and the wire moves along the predetermined path to the wire guide nozzle 113 under the clamping and pushing of the two wire feeding wheels 31 to ensure the stability of the wire delivery process.

[0043] According to one embodiment of the present application, referring to FIG. 4, the driving member 32 comprises a driving motor 321 and a first transmission shaft 322, the first transmission shaft 322 is rotatably installed on the rack 111, the input end of the first transmission shaft 322 is power-coupled connected with the output end of the driving motor 321, and the output end of the first transmission shaft 322 is fixedly connected with one of the wire feeding wheels 31. The driving motor 321 is installed on the rack 111, when the driving motor 321 is started, the power generated by the driving motor 321 is transmitted to the wire feeding wheel 31 connected with the first transmission shaft 322 through the first transmission shaft 322 to drive the wire feeding wheel 31 to rotate to realize the stable delivery of the wire.

[0044] According to one embodiment of the present application, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the wire feeding wheel 31 comprises a guiding part 311 and a driving part 312, the driving part 312 is located at the end of the guiding part 311 away from the first transmission shaft 322, the guiding parts 311 of the two wire feeding wheels 31 are adapted to clamp the wire, and the driving parts 312 of the two wire feeding wheels 31 are configured as intermeshing gears. The guiding part 311 is responsible for clamping the wire and ensuring its straight travel and position stability during transportation. When one wire feeding wheel 31 is powered by the first transmission shaft 322 and starts to rotate, the power can be directly transmitted to the other wire feeding wheel 31 through the intermeshing gears to achieve synchronous rotation. Configuring the driving parts 312 of the two wire feeding wheels 31 as intermeshing gears is conducive to achieving the rotation of the two wire feeding wheels 31 at the same speed, avoiding the twisting or breaking of the wire caused by the inconsistent rotation speed of the two wire feeding wheels 31.

[0045] During the wire transportation process, the wire is first fed between the guiding parts 311 of the two wire feeding wheels 31. With the start of the driving motor 321, the power is transmitted to one of the wire feeding wheels 31 through the first transmission shaft 322, and then transmitted to the other wire feeding wheel 31 through the meshing gears. Due to the precise clamping of the guiding part 311 and the synchronous rotation of the driving part 312, the wire can move towards the wire guide nozzle 113 under stable thrust. Specifically, the peripheral surface of the two wire feeding wheels 31 is formed with a circumferential guide groove, and the wire is adapted to the guide groove, which can further improve the stability of wire transportation.

[0046] According to one embodiment of the present application, referring to FIG. 4, the axis of the driving motor 321 is perpendicular to the axis of the first transmission shaft 322.

[0047] The perpendicular arrangement of the axis of the driving motor 321 and the axis of the first transmission shaft 322 usually requires the use of bevel gears, belt drives or other types of turning parts 33 to convert the direction of motion, which helps to save space and makes the entire wire feeding system more compact.

[0048] In some specific examples, the driving motor 321 is connected with the first transmission shaft 322 through a steering member 33. The steering member 33 comprises a second transmission shaft 331, a first bevel gear 332 and a second bevel gear 333. The second transmission shaft 331 is rotatably installed on the frame 111, and the axis of the second transmission shaft 331 is perpendicular to the axis of the first transmission shaft 322. The first bevel gear 332 is arranged on the second transmission shaft 331, and the second bevel gear 333 is arranged on the first transmission shaft 322. The first bevel gear 332 and the second bevel gear 333 are engaged with each other. The output end of the driving motor 321 is connected with the input end of the second transmission shaft 331 through power coupling. When the driving motor 321 is started, the rotation power generated by the driving motor 321 is first transmitted to the second transmission shaft 331. Due to the engagement of the first bevel gear 332 and the second bevel gear 333, the rotation movement of the second transmission shaft 331 is effectively converted into the rotation movement of the first transmission shaft 322, thereby driving the wire feeding wheel 31 connected with the first transmission shaft 322 to rotate. Not only the high efficiency of power transmission is maintained, but also the accuracy and stability of the movement are ensured.

[0049] In another example, the second transmission shaft 331 comprises a first shaft segment and a second shaft segment connected with each other. The axes of the first shaft segment and the second shaft segment are located on the same straight line, and the diameter of the first shaft segment is greater than the diameter of the second shaft segment. Specifically, the output end of the driving motor 321 is connected with one end of the first shaft segment through power coupling. The other end of the first shaft segment is fixedly connected with one end of the second shaft segment. The first bevel gear 332 is arranged on the second shaft segment, and the first bevel gear 332 is adjacent to the first transmission shaft 322. One end of the first shaft segment has a key groove. The output end of the driving motor 321 is connected with the key groove through spline connection. The length of the output end of the driving motor 321 located in the key groove is less than the groove depth of the key groove, so that there is a clearance between the output end of the driving motor 321 and the groove wall close to the second shaft segment. The second shaft segment is provided with a load bearing, and the load bearing is in abutment with the other end of the first shaft segment.

[0050] When the wire is blocked, the load bearing will be slightly deformed when the resistance is large. At this time, the clearance absorbs the deformation of the load bearing, avoiding that the blocking resistance directly acts on the output end of the driving motor 321.

[0051] According to an embodiment of the present application, the spindle sleeve of the additive manufacturing welding tool 20 is provided with a Hall sensor, and a magnetic block is arranged on the shank of the additive manufacturing welding tool 20. The position of the magnetic block is consistent with the position of the cutting welding wire of the additive manufacturing welding tool 20. When the Hall sensor senses the magnetic block, the wire feeding is stopped; when the Hall sensor is away from the magnetic block, the wire feeding is started. The Hall sensor can also be replaced by a proximity sensor, a position sensor, etc. to realize this function.

[0052] The first support 12 is suitable for vertical elastic deformation. In the absence of external force, the first support 12 remains in its natural state, i.e., a fixed shape. When the wire is blocked, the movement of the wire acts on the first support 12, and the first support 12 can adaptively deform, i.e., the first support 12 can deform upward or downward to absorb the deformation resistance and reduce the stress of the wire. When the wire is normally fed, the first support 12 can deform to recover, facilitating the absorption of stress next time. It should be noted that the elastic deformation of the first support 12 occurs within the elastic range of the material thereof. In addition, the wire feeding nozzle 13 is suitable for rotating in the horizontal direction and can adaptively change, i.e., with the feeding of the wire, the wire feeding nozzle 13 can rotate around the horizontal axis as the rotation axis, so that one end of the wire output by the wire feeding nozzle 13 is close to or away from the additive manufacturing welding tool 20, avoiding wire blocking. Therefore, even if the additive manufacturing welding tool 20 cuts the wire intermittently, the wire feeding mechanism 10 of the present application can adaptively deform to prevent wire blocking and improve the smoothness of wire feeding.

[0053] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 3, the additive manufacturing welding tool 20 includes a shaft shoulder 21 and a feeding rod 22. The shaft shoulder 21 is provided with a feeding channel 21a, and the side of the shaft shoulder 21 is provided with a feeding port 21b communicating with the feeding channel 21a. The wire feeder 11 is suitable for driving the wire to be fed into the feeding port 21b. The feeding rod 22 is arranged in the feeding channel 21a and can rotate around the axis direction of the shaft shoulder 21. The wire feeder 11 can feed the wire into the feeding channel 21a through the feeding port 21b. With the rotation of the feeding rod 22 relative to the shaft shoulder 21, the feeding rod 22 cuts the wire and drives the wire to be fed downward along the feeding channel 21a. The friction between the wire and the substrate or the previous deposition layer below the shaft shoulder 21 generates heat, so that the wire enters a thermoplastic state and is rapidly deposited on the surface of the substrate or the previous deposition layer under the action of the top forging force and the shearing force.

[0054] In some embodiments, the feeding rod 22 is a threaded rod. The surface of the threaded rod is formed with a spiral groove. Under the cutting action of the spiral groove, the wire can be cut into particles, and under the driving of the spiral groove, the particles can be fed downward.

[0055] In some embodiments, the bottom of the feeding rod 22 is provided with a stirring needle. Due to the gap between the shaft shoulder 21 and the substrate or the previous deposition layer, the stirring needle can be inserted into the substrate or the previous deposition layer. Under the action of the stirring needle, the thermoplastic material can be mixed uniformly, diffused and deposited on the surface of the area to be added.

[0056] According to another aspect of the present application, referring to FIG. 5, the present application provides a control method of a friction stir additive manufacturing equipment, which comprises the following steps:

[0057] S1, the wire material is fed into the wire feeding tube 112, so that one end of the wire material is clamped between the two wire feeding wheels 31 and extends to the wire guide nozzle 113 between the two wire feeding wheels 31, and then is fed into the wire feeding nozzle 13 from the wire guide nozzle 113. The clamping force of the two wire feeding wheels 31 on the wire material needs to be moderate, which not only ensures that the wire material will not be crushed or damaged, but also ensures sufficient friction to push the wire material forward.

[0058] S2, start the drive motor 321 to rotate at a predetermined speed, and then drive the wire feeding wheel 31 to rotate, continuously feed the wire material into the wire feeding nozzle 13 through the transmission mechanism 30, and the position of the wire feeding nozzle 13 changes adaptively. The speed of the drive motor 321 needs to be accurately controlled to maintain the continuity and consistency of the wire material delivery. Too fast speed may cause the wire material to break or accumulate, and too slow speed may affect the manufacturing efficiency.

[0059] S3, the wire feeding nozzle 13 further delivers the wire material to the spindle of the additive manufacturing welding tool 20 to realize the wire feeding process.

[0060] Through the detailed steps of the above control method, the application ensures that the friction stir additive manufacturing equipment can realize efficient and accurate delivery of wire material during use. This automatic wire feeding system not only improves production efficiency, but also improves the quality and reliability of the final product.

[0061] In the description of the present specification, the description of the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "exemplary embodiment", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In the present specification, the exemplary description of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0062] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art can understand that various changes, modifications, replacements and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and purposes of the present application, and the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus, wherein, The application relates to a wire feeding mechanism and an additive manufacturing welding tool. The wire feeding mechanism comprises: a wire feeder adapted to drive wire feeding towards the additive manufacturing welding tool; a first support located at the rear end of the wire feeder, the first support being adapted to elastically deform in the vertical direction; a wire feeding nozzle located at the rear end of the first support, the wire feeding nozzle being adapted to rotate in the horizontal direction, one end of the wire feeding nozzle extending obliquely towards the spindle of the additive manufacturing welding tool, the aperture of the inlet of the wire feeding nozzle being larger than the aperture of the outlet of the wire feeding nozzle. The wire feeding mechanism further comprises:

2. The friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, a second support connected to the first support, the wire feeding nozzle being rotatably connected to the first support through the second support. A sliding groove in the vertical direction is arranged in the first support, and the second support is slidably mounted in the sliding groove.

3. Friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The second support comprises:

4. The friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 3, wherein, a rotating part, at least part of the second support extending out of the sliding groove to form the rotating part; a wire feeding part, the wire feeding nozzle being mounted on the wire feeding part, the wire feeding part being rotatably connected to the rotating part in the horizontal direction, wherein one side of the rotating part facing the wire feeding nozzle is a circular arc surface, and the wire feeding part is provided with a rotating groove matched with the shape of the circular arc surface, so that the circular arc surface is fitted in the rotating groove. The wire feeder comprises:

5. The friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, a rack arranged on one side of the additive manufacturing welding tool; a wire feeding pipe arranged on the rack; a wire guide nozzle arranged on the rack and opposite to the wire feeding pipe; a transmission mechanism arranged on the rack and between the wire feeding pipe and the wire guide nozzle, the transmission mechanism being used for conveying wire in the wire feeding pipe to the wire guide nozzle, and wire in the wire guide nozzle to the wire feeding nozzle. The transmission mechanism comprises:

6. The friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 5, wherein, two wire feeding wheels axially parallel, the wire passing between the two wire feeding wheels, so that the wire feeding wheels drive the wire to the wire guide nozzle; a driving member power-coupled to the two wire feeding wheels to drive the wire feeding wheels to rotate. The driving member comprises:

7. Friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, a driving motor; a first transmission shaft rotatably mounted on the rack, the input end of the first transmission shaft being power-coupled to the output end of the driving motor, and the output end of the first transmission shaft being fixedly connected to one of the wire feeding wheels. The wire feeding wheel comprises a guide part and a driving part, the driving part being located at the end of the guide part away from the first transmission shaft, the guide parts of the two wire feeding wheels being adapted to clamp the wire, and the driving parts of the two wire feeding wheels being configured as intermeshing gears.

8. The friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 7, wherein, The driving motor and the first transmission shaft are connected through a turning member, and the turning member comprises:

9. Friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, ​ A second transmission shaft is rotatably mounted on the frame, and an axis of the second transmission shaft is perpendicular to an axis of the first transmission shaft. The second transmission shaft comprises a first shaft segment and a second shaft segment connected with each other. A diameter of the first shaft segment is greater than a diameter of the second shaft segment. An end of the first shaft segment is provided with a key groove. An output end of the driving motor is connected with the key groove through a spline. A length of the output end of the driving motor located in the key groove is less than a groove depth of the key groove. A first bevel gear is arranged on the second shaft segment. A second bevel gear is arranged on the first transmission shaft. The first bevel gear is engaged with the second bevel gear.

10. The friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The additive manufacturing welding tool comprises: A shaft shoulder is arranged in a feeding channel. A feeding port is arranged on a side of the shaft shoulder and is communicated with the feeding channel. The wire feeder is adapted to drive the wire to be fed into the feeding port. A feeding rod is arranged in the feeding channel and is rotatable around an axis of the shaft shoulder.

11. Friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The feeding rod is a threaded rod.

12. The friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 10, wherein, A stirring needle is arranged at a bottom of the feeding rod.

13. A control method of a friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus for controlling the friction stir additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein The control method comprises the following steps: S1, feeding the wire into the wire feeding pipe so that one end of the wire is clamped between the two wire feeding wheels and extends between the two wire feeding wheels to the wire guide nozzle, and then is fed from the wire guide nozzle to the wire feeding nozzle; S2, starting the driving motor to rotate at a predetermined speed, thereby driving the wire feeding wheel to rotate, continuously feeding the wire into the wire feeding nozzle through the transmission mechanism, and adaptively changing a position of the wire feeding nozzle; S3, further feeding the wire from the wire feeding nozzle to the additive manufacturing welding tool to realize the wire feeding process.

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