阅读说明：本技术 粉料输送装置及其送料方法 (Powder conveying device and feeding method thereof ) 是由 刘建业 高文华 梁自品 徐卡里 胡高峰 牛留辉 阮佳生 于 2019-09-28 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种粉料输送装置,包括成型室、粉末回收装置和供料装置。所述供料装置分别与所述粉末回收装置和所述成型室连通,包括粉料过滤收集装置和风机,所述粉料过滤收集装置设置在所述粉末回收装置下端并与所述成型室连通,所述粉料过滤收集装置上还设置有进料管道,所述粉料过滤收集装置用于将所述进料管道进来的粉料和/或从所述粉末回收装置进来的粉料过滤出杂质。所述风机将所述粉料过滤收集装置过滤出杂质的粉料输送至所述成型室内。上述粉料输送装置可以在不停止打印的过程中不间断的进行粉料补充和回收,并机械筛分粉料,减少三维打印的预加粉量和人工投入。本申请还提供一种应用在上述粉料输送装置中的送料方法。(A powder conveying device comprises a forming chamber, a powder recovery device and a feeding device. The feeding device is respectively communicated with the powder recovery device and the forming chamber and comprises a powder filtering and collecting device and a fan, the powder filtering and collecting device is arranged at the lower end of the powder recovery device and is communicated with the forming chamber, a feeding pipeline is further arranged on the powder filtering and collecting device, and the powder filtering and collecting device is used for filtering out impurities from powder entering from the feeding pipeline and/or powder entering from the powder recovery device. And the fan conveys the powder filtered out of impurities by the powder filtering and collecting device into the forming chamber. The powder conveying device can continuously supplement and recover powder in the process of printing without stopping, mechanically screens the powder, and reduces the pre-powder adding amount and manual input of three-dimensional printing. The application also provides a feeding method applied to the powder conveying device.)

1. A powder conveying device comprises

A forming chamber;

the powder recovery device is arranged at the bottom of the forming chamber and is communicated with the forming chamber; and

the feeding device is used for conveying powder to the forming chamber;

the powder recycling device is characterized in that the feeding device is respectively communicated with the powder recycling device and the forming chamber, the feeding device comprises a powder filtering and collecting device and a fan, and the powder filtering and collecting device is arranged at the lower end of the powder recycling device;

the lower end of the powder filtering and collecting device is communicated with the forming chamber through a pipeline, a feeding pipeline is further arranged on the powder filtering and collecting device, and the powder filtering and collecting device is used for filtering out impurities from powder entering from the feeding pipeline and/or powder entering from the powder recovery device;

and the fan conveys the powder filtered out of impurities by the powder filtering and collecting device into the forming chamber.

2. The powder conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the powder filtering and collecting device comprises a filtering chamber and a collecting chamber, a screen is arranged in the filtering chamber, the screen divides the filtering chamber into an upper part and a lower part, the upper part of the filtering chamber is communicated with the powder recovery device, and the upper end of the collecting chamber is communicated with the lower part of the filtering chamber.

3. The powder conveying device of claim 2, wherein the feeding pipe is arranged at the upper end of the filtering cabin, and the powder in the feeding pipe and the powder recovery device enters the collecting cabin after being filtered by the screen.

4. The powder delivery apparatus of claim 2, wherein the feeder device further comprises a contaminant collector in communication with the filter chamber for collecting contaminants screened by the screen.

5. The powder conveying device according to claim 4, wherein the impurity collecting device comprises a buffer chamber and a containing chamber, the containing chamber is communicated with the buffer chamber and is arranged below the buffer chamber, and the buffer chamber is communicated with the filtering chamber.

6. The powder conveying device according to claim 1, wherein a powder chamber is arranged in the molding chamber, a front powder chamber communicated with the powder chamber is arranged outside the molding chamber, and the powder filtering and collecting device is communicated with the front powder chamber through a pipeline.

7. The powder conveying device according to claim 6, wherein a surplus material detecting device is disposed in the powder chamber, and when the surplus material detecting device detects that the powder remaining in the powder chamber is less than a set value, the blower conveys the powder in the powder filtering and collecting device to the pre-powder chamber.

8. The powder conveying device of claim 6, wherein the powder conveying device comprises a first pipeline and a second pipeline, one end of the first pipeline is communicated with the preposed powder cabin from the top end of the preposed powder cabin, and the other end of the first pipeline is communicated with the powder filtering and collecting device; one end of the second pipeline is communicated with the front powder cabin from the side edge of the front powder cabin, the other end of the second pipeline is communicated with the powder filtering and collecting device, and the fan is installed on the first pipeline.

9. The powder conveying device of claim 8, wherein a filter element is disposed at the port of the first conduit communicating with the powder chamber.

10. A feeding method applied to the powder conveying device of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the feeding method comprises the following steps:

discharging air and waste gas in the powder conveying device by using protective gas;

screening and collecting the powder provided by the feeding pipeline and the powder recovery device through a powder filtering and collecting device;

and starting the fan, and making the powder screened in the powder filtering and collecting device flow into the forming chamber by utilizing the circulating air duct.

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of three-dimensional printing equipment, in particular to a powder conveying device and a feeding method thereof.

Background

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is the most popular technique used in today's metal 3D printers. In the traditional SLM processing, the pre-powder adding amount is two times or more than the actual powder forming requirement, and if the powder adding needs to be suspended in the middle of printing, the three-dimensional printing forming efficiency is limited. In addition, the powder storage container needs to be directly arranged at a higher position above the forming chamber, so that the powder automatically falls to realize powder feeding, and the powder is required to be lifted to a higher position of the equipment when being added, thereby easily causing the powder to scatter and even cause accidents. The powder recovery after printing is completely transferred to an external powder sieving machine by manpower for processing, the labor cost is high, and operators in the transfer process easily inhale powder harmful to human bodies.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a powder conveying apparatus capable of continuously feeding and recovering surplus materials and a feeding method thereof.

A powder conveying device comprises

A forming chamber;

the powder recovery device is arranged at the bottom of the forming chamber and is communicated with the forming chamber; and

the feeding device is used for conveying powder to the forming chamber;

the feeding device is respectively communicated with the powder recovery device and the forming chamber, and comprises a powder filtering and collecting device and a fan, and the powder filtering and collecting device is arranged at the lower end of the powder recovery device;

the lower end of the powder filtering and collecting device is communicated with the forming chamber through a pipeline, a feeding pipeline is further arranged on the powder filtering and collecting device, and the powder filtering and collecting device is used for filtering out impurities from powder entering from the feeding pipeline and/or powder entering from the powder recovery device;

and the fan conveys the powder filtered out of impurities by the powder filtering and collecting device into the forming chamber.

Optionally, the powder filtering and collecting device comprises a filtering cabin and a collecting cabin, a screen is arranged in the filtering cabin, the filtering cabin is divided into an upper part and a lower part by the screen, the upper part of the filtering cabin is communicated with the powder recovery device, and the upper end of the collecting cabin is communicated with the lower part of the filtering cabin.

Optionally, the feeding pipeline is arranged at the upper end of the filtering cabin, and the powder in the feeding pipeline and the powder recovery device enters the collecting cabin after being filtered by the screen.

Optionally, the feeding device further comprises an impurity collecting device, and the impurity collecting device is communicated with the filtering cabin and is used for collecting impurities on the sieving device.

Optionally, the impurity collecting device comprises a cache chamber and a holding chamber, the holding chamber is communicated with the cache chamber and is arranged below the cache chamber, and the cache chamber is communicated with the filtering chamber.

Optionally, a powder cabin is arranged in the forming chamber, a front powder cabin communicated with the powder cabin is arranged outside the forming chamber, and the powder filtering and collecting device is communicated with the front powder cabin through a pipeline.

Optionally, a surplus material detection device is arranged in the powder cabin, and when the surplus material detection device detects that the surplus powder in the powder cabin is less than a set value, the fan conveys the powder in the powder filtering and collecting device to the front powder cabin.

Optionally, the powder conveying device comprises a first pipeline and a second pipeline, one end of the first pipeline is communicated with the front powder cabin from the top end of the front powder cabin, and the other end of the first pipeline is communicated with the powder filtering and collecting device; one end of the second pipeline is communicated with the front powder cabin from the side edge of the front powder cabin, the other end of the second pipeline is communicated with the powder filtering and collecting device, and the fan is installed on the first pipeline.

Optionally, a port of the first pipeline, which is communicated with the powder cabin, is provided with a filter element.

A feeding method applied to the powder conveying device of any one of the powder conveying devices, comprising the following steps:

discharging air and waste gas in the powder conveying device by using protective gas;

screening and collecting the powder provided by the feeding pipeline and the powder recovery device through a powder filtering and collecting device;

and starting the fan, and making the powder screened in the powder filtering and collecting device flow into the forming chamber by utilizing the circulating air duct.

Above-mentioned powder conveyor filters collection device with the powder and sets up in the forming chamber below, utilizes fan and pipeline pay-off, can be at incessant powder replenishment and the recovery of the in-process that does not stop printing, reduces the three-dimensional printing and adds the powder volume in advance. The process of collecting and screening the powder is purely mechanical operation, and the manual investment is reduced.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a powder conveying apparatus in one embodiment.

Description of the main element symbols:

the specific implementation mode is as follows:

the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 1, the powder conveying device 100 includes a forming chamber 1, a powder recovery device 2 and a feeding device 3, the powder recovery device 2 is disposed at the bottom of the forming chamber 1 and is communicated with the forming chamber 1, the feeding device 3 is disposed at the bottom of the powder recovery device 2 and is respectively communicated with the forming chamber 1 and the powder recovery device 2, and the feeding device 3 is used for conveying powder to the forming chamber 1. The feeding device 3 comprises a powder filtering and collecting device 30 and a fan 40, and the powder filtering and collecting device 30 is arranged at the lower end of the powder recovery device 2. The lower end of the powder filtering and collecting device 30 is communicated with the forming chamber 1 through a pipeline, and the powder filtering and collecting device 30 is further provided with a feeding pipeline 312. The powder filtering and collecting device 30 is used for filtering impurities from the powder entering from the feeding pipeline 312 and/or the powder entering from the powder recovery device 2. The blower 40 conveys the powder with impurities filtered by the powder filtering and collecting device 30 into the forming chamber 1.

The powder filtering and collecting device 30 comprises a filtering cabin 31 and a collecting cabin 32, wherein the filtering cabin 31 is positioned at the bottom of the powder recovery device 2, and the collecting cabin 32 is positioned at the bottom of the filtering cabin 31. The powder recycling device is characterized in that a screening device 311 is arranged in the filtering cabin 31, the screening device 311 divides the filtering cabin 31 into an upper part and a lower part, the upper part of the filtering cabin 31 is communicated with the powder recycling device 2, the feeding pipeline 312 is arranged at the upper end of the filtering cabin 31, and the feeding pipeline 312 can be communicated with a manual powder adding device, so that powder can be supplemented conveniently at any time. The upper end of the collection chamber 32 is communicated with the lower part of the filtering chamber 31, and the powder in the feeding pipeline 312 and the powder recovery device 2 enters the collection chamber 32 after being filtered by the sieving device 311. The lower end of the collection cabin 32 is communicated with the forming chamber 1 through a pipeline to form a loop, the fan 40 is communicated with the pipeline of the loop, and powder in the collection cabin 32 is conveyed into the forming chamber 1 through circulating airflow.

The forming chamber 1 comprises a powder cabin 11, a powder spreading device 12, a printing platform 13, a driving device 14 and a front powder cabin 15. The powder cabin 11 is arranged at the upper part of the inner cavity of the forming chamber 1, and the printing platform 13 and the driving device 14 are positioned at the lower part of the inner cavity of the forming chamber 1. The front powder cabin 15 is arranged at the top end outside the forming chamber 1 and is communicated with the powder cabin 11. A valve D is arranged between the front powder cabin 15 and the powder cabin 11, the valve D is selectively opened and closed, and the front powder cabin 15 is used for replenishing powder to the powder cabin 11 according to the printing requirement. The driving device 14 is in transmission connection with the printing platform 13 and drives the printing platform 13 to move up and down according to the printing process. The powder paving device 12 is movably arranged in the inner cavity of the forming chamber 1 and is used for conveying the powder in the powder cabin 11 to the printing platform 13 and paving the corresponding powder on the printing platform 13. The two sides of the printing platform 13 are provided with through grooves communicated with the powder recovery device 2, and the powder spreading device 12 can also be used for pushing redundant powder on the printing platform 13 into the through grooves so that the redundant powder falls into the powder recovery device 2. In other embodiments, the number of through slots may be more than two, disposed around the printing platform.

Specifically, a valve I is arranged at the connection position of the powder recovery device 2 and the filter cabin 31, and when the valve I is opened, the powder in the powder recovery device 2 falls into the upper part of the filter cabin 31. The end part of the feeding pipeline 312 is provided with a valve J, when powder needs to be supplemented to the powder conveying device 100, the manual powder adding device is communicated with the feeding pipeline 312 and performs deoxidization, so that oxygen is not brought into the filtering cabin 31 when the powder is added, the valve J is opened, and the manual powder adding device adds the powder to the upper part of the filtering cabin 31. And screening by the screen 311 to remove impurities in the powder, wherein the powder for three-dimensional printing falls to the lower part of the filter chamber 31 through the screen 311. The screen 311 is preferably an ultrasonic screening resonator, which has the advantage of low vibration and low noise. The screen mesh in the sieving device 311 can be changed in mesh and shape according to the powder type, so that the separation precision of powder sieving is ensured.

A valve K is arranged at the joint of the collecting cabin 32 and the lower part of the filtering cabin 31, and when the valve K is opened, powder stored in the lower part of the filtering cabin 31 enters the collecting cabin 32. The collection chamber 32 is provided with at least two sensors 321, which are respectively close to the upper end and the lower end of the collection chamber 32 and are used for detecting the height of the material in the collection chamber 32. When the sensor 321 at the high position detects the material, it indicates that the collection chamber 32 is full, and the valve K needs to be closed; when the sensor 321 in the low position cannot detect the material, it indicates that the collection chamber 32 needs to be refilled and the valve K needs to be opened.

The bottom of the collection chamber 32 is provided with a valve C, the powder conveying device 100 further comprises a first pipeline 101, a second pipeline 102 and a third pipeline 103, the first pipeline 101 and the second pipeline 102 are communicated with the bottom of the collection chamber 32 through the third pipeline 103, and a three-way structure is formed at the valve C. One end of the first pipeline 101 is communicated with the preposed powder cabin 15 from the side of the preposed powder cabin 15, and the second pipeline 102 is communicated with the preposed powder cabin 15 from the top end of the preposed powder cabin 15 to form a pipeline loop between the collection cabin 32 and the forming chamber 1. A valve B is arranged at one end of the third pipeline 103 close to the second pipeline 102. The lower end of the second pipe 102 is also provided with a gas inlet 50 for introducing a shielding gas. The upper end of the first pipeline 101 is provided with an air outlet 60 for leading out air and waste gas.

Further, the powder filtering and collecting device 30 includes a foreign matter collecting device 33 connected to the filtering chamber 31. The foreign material collecting apparatus 33 includes a buffer chamber 331 and a receiving chamber 332 detachably mounted at a lower end of the buffer chamber 331. The accommodating chamber 332 is communicated with the cache chamber 331, and a valve H is arranged at the joint of the accommodating chamber 332 and the cache chamber 331. The powder conveying device 100 further comprises a fourth pipeline 104, a fifth pipeline 105 and a sixth pipeline 106, the fourth pipeline 104 is communicated with one side of the second pipeline 102 and one side of the filtering cabin 31, one end of the fifth pipeline 105 is communicated with the caching cabin 331 from the side of the caching cabin 331, and the other end of the fifth pipeline 105 is communicated with one side of the filtering cabin 31 opposite to the fourth pipeline 104. The connection position of the fourth pipe 104 and the fifth pipe 105 with the filter chamber 31 is above the sifter 311, i.e. the fifth pipe 105 and the fourth pipe 104 communicate with the upper part of the filter chamber 31. One end of the sixth pipeline 106 is communicated with the cache chamber 331 from the top of the cache chamber 331, and the other end of the sixth pipeline 106 is communicated with the lower end of the second pipeline 102, so as to form a loop between the filtering chamber 31 and the impurity collecting device 33. A valve E is arranged on the fourth pipeline 104, a valve F is arranged on the fifth pipeline 105, and a valve G is arranged on the sixth pipeline 106 at a position close to the second pipeline 102. The second pipeline 102 is further provided with a valve a, and the valve a is located above a connection port between the fourth pipeline 104 and the second pipeline 102. The blower 40 is installed on the second pipe 102 and between the valve E and the valve B.

The feeding process and the feeding method of the powder conveying device 100 are as follows:

before the device is operated, except for a valve J and a valve I, other valves are opened, protective gas enters from the gas inlet 50, the whole powder conveying device 100 is filled at a flow speed which does not cause powder to generate dust, the oxygen content in the powder conveying device 100 is maintained at a level which can be subjected to three-dimensional printing, air and waste gas in the powder conveying device 100 are discharged through the gas outlet 60, after the air and waste gas are completely discharged, a certain amount of protective gas is continuously input to enable the air pressure in the powder conveying device 100 to be at a preset value, and all valves are closed. In one embodiment, the predetermined value may be slightly above atmospheric pressure.

The powder cabin 11 is also internally provided with a residual material detection device 111, the residual material detection device 111 is a rod-shaped full-range sensor, any residual value in a detection range can be set as an alarm value, the powder residual is accurately detected in real time, and powder residual data is provided to ensure that the system runs on time according to the quantity. When the residual material detection device 111 detects that the actual residual powder in the powder cabin 11 is less than the set value, the powder conveying device 100 starts to operate, the valve I and/or the valve J are opened, the powder in the feeding pipeline 312 and/or the powder recovery device 2 falls into the filtering cabin 31, and the sieving device 311 separates the powder from impurities. The valve K is opened and the filtered powder falls into the collection chamber 32. The valve A, B, D is opened, the fan 40 is started, then the valve C is opened, the powder is prevented from being accumulated in the three-way pipeline below the valve C because the fan does not reach the preset air speed, the powder in the collection cabin 32 enters the front powder cabin 15 along the first pipeline 101 and falls into the powder cabin 11 through the circulating air channel, the powder supplement is realized, and the arrows on the first pipeline 101 and the third pipeline 103 in the figure 1 indicate the air flow direction during feeding. The second pipeline 102 is provided with a filtering member at a port in the front powder cabin 15, so as to prevent the powder from flowing out of the second pipeline 102 along with the airflow, and ensure that the powder can correctly fall into the powder cabin 11.

After the feeding is completed, the valve A, B, C, D, I is closed, the valve E, F, H, G is opened, the fan 40 is reversed, and a reverse airflow is generated to convey the impurities at the upper end of the classifier 311 to the impurity collecting device 33. The direction of the arrows on the fourth duct 104, the fifth duct 105 and the sixth duct 106 in fig. 1 indicate the direction of the air flow when the fan 40 is reversed. The sixth conduit 106 is also fitted with a filter at a port in the buffer compartment 331 for preventing impurities from flowing into the sixth conduit 106 with the gas flow. After a certain amount of impurities are collected in the accommodation chamber 332, the valve H may be closed, and the accommodation chamber 332 may be removed to empty the impurities.

Further, a pressure measuring device 16, an oxygen measuring device 17 and a pressure relief device 18 are mounted on the molding chamber 1. When the pressure measuring device 16 detects that the air pressure in the molding chamber 1 is higher than a preset value, the pressure relief device 18 is opened to reduce the air pressure in the molding chamber 1. When the oxygen measuring device 17 detects that the oxygen content in the forming chamber 1 is higher than a preset value, protective gas is filled from the gas inlet 50 to reduce the oxygen content in the forming chamber 1.

Furthermore, the filtering cabin 31, the second pipeline 102 and the sixth pipeline 106 are further provided with grounding protection devices, so that current generated by friction between powder and pipe fittings in the feeding process can be effectively processed, and safe and stable operation of equipment and personal safety of operators are guaranteed. It is understood that in other embodiments, the ground protection devices may be disposed at other locations of the powder conveying device 100 where static electricity is easily generated, and the location and number of the ground protection devices are not limited in this application.

The powder conveying device 100 can continuously enter powder for supplement in the process of printing without stopping, and pre-powder adding amount of three-dimensional printing is reduced. The collection and the screening process of powder are pure mechanical operation, reduce artifical the input, realize the full cut-off ring control of gas circuit through the on-off state of a plurality of valves, provide the protective gas environment of installation, avoid the powder to wet or receive other pollutions. In addition, the cyclone filtering principle is adopted in the powder conveying and impurity collecting processes, most of powder or impurities can be economically and effectively guaranteed to reach the designated position, the filtering piece is added to further guarantee that the rest part of the powder or the impurities cannot be brought away from other positions, and smooth operation of other components is guaranteed.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.