METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MANUFACTURING ALL-LASER COMPOSITE ADDITIVE

• US 20190329356A1
• Filed: 02/14/2017
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering
• Original Assignee: Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Inventors: ZHANG, Wenwu, JIAO, Junke
• Granted Patent: US 11,541,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/008 pressure combined with radiant energy
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/032 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0608 in the same heat affected zone [HAZ] B23K26/0613, B23K26/0619 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0624 using ultrashort pulses, i.e. pulses of 1ns or less
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0643 comprising mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0821 using multifaceted mirrors, e.g. polygonal mirror
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/26 of rectilinear seams
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/342 Build-up welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/362 Laser etching
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/364 for making a groove or trench, e.g. for scribing a break initiation groove
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 17/2471 of workpieces
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/067 Fibre lasers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for an all-laser hybrid additive manufacturing. After a matrix is obtained by means of selective laser melting forming, a subtractive forming is carried out on the matrix by means of a pulse laser to form a cavity, and the cavity is then packaged to obtain a forming material with an internal cavity structure. A laser precision packaging method is used in the method based on the melting of the laser selective region. Also disclosed is the apparatus, comprising a laser unit (2), a control unit (4) and a forming unit (6). The laser unit is in light path connection with the forming unit, and the control unit is electrically connected with the laser unit and the forming unit respectively. The laser unit comprises a first laser light source to and a second laser light source. The forming unit comprises a welding unit (68), and the welding unit is controlled by the control unit and is matched with the laser unit for the additive manufacturing.

Claims

1. An all-laser hybrid additive manufacturing method, wherein after a matrix is obtained by means of selective laser melting forming, a subtractive forming is carried out on the matrix by means of a pulse laser to form a cavity, and the cavity is then packaged to obtain a forming material with an internal cavity structure.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein comprising the steps of:

a) performing selective laser melting by a laser I to obtain a matrix of a metal material;

b) etching the matrix obtained in step a) by a laser II to form a groove structure, wherein the laser II is a pulse laser;

c) covering the groove structure obtained in step b) with a prefabricated plate, and welding and packaging the prefabricated plate by the laser I to form a microchannel;

d) performing selective laser melting forming on the microchannel structure obtained in step c) to obtain a forming material having the microchannel structure.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the laser I is a continuous wave infrared laser or a pulse infrared laser,

preferably the laser II comprises a solid pulse laser, a semiconductor pulse laser, a gas pulse laser, and the pulse width of the pulse laser is in a range from 1 femtosecond to 100 milliseconds.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the metal material comprises a superalloy, stainless steel, an aluminum alloy, a magnesium alloy and a copper alloy.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein an edge of the groove structure obtained in step b) is provided with a concave edge, and the depth of the concave edge is consistent with the thickness of the prefabricated plate;

preferably the step c) is to cover the groove structure obtained in step b) with the prefabricated plate of the same material as the matrix, through positioning by an external mechanism, applying a welding pressure to the prefabricated plate and welding and packaging the prefabricated plate by the laser 1 to obtain a forming material having the microchannel structure.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the external mechanism comprises a micro-machine arm and a movement platform;

and the applying of the welding pressure includes a mechanical mode, a pneumatic mode and an electromagnetic mode.

7. An all-laser hybrid additive manufacturing apparatus using the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the apparatus comprises a laser unit, a control unit and a forming unit, and the laser unit is in light path connection with the forming unit, the control unit is electrically connected with the laser unit and the forming unit respectively;

the laser unit comprises a first laser light source and a second laser light source;

the forming unit comprises a welding unit, and the welding unit is controlled by the control unit and is matched with the laser unit for the additive manufacturing.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first laser source comprises a continuous wave infrared laser or a pulse infrared laser;

the second laser light source comprises a solid short pulse laser, a semiconductor short pulse laser, a gas short pulse laser, the pulse width of the short pulse laser is in a range from 1 femtosecond to 100 milliseconds;

preferably the second laser light source comprises a femtosecond pulse laser, a picosecond pulse laser, a nanosecond pulse laser, a microsecond pulse laser or a millisecond pulse laser.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the laser unit comprises a first optical modulation system and a second optical modulation system;

the first optical modulation system is located on an outgoing laser light path of the first laser light source, the first optical modulation system modulates the laser emitted by the first laser light source;

the second optical modulation system is located on an outgoing laser light path of the second laser light source, the second optical modulation system modulates the laser emitted by the second laser light source;

preferably the laser unit comprises a first mirror;

the first mirror is simultaneously located on an outgoing laser light path of both the first laser light source and the second laser light source, the first mirror transmits infrared light and reflects visible light;

the first laser light source is an infrared laser, and the outgoing laser of the first laser light source passes through the first optical modulation system, and enters the forming unit after directing and passing through the first mirror;

the second laser light source is a visible light laser, and the outgoing laser of the second laser light source passes through the second optical modulation system, and is reflected by means of the first mirror toward the forming unit;

preferably the laser unit comprises a second mirror;

the second mirror is located on the outgoing laser light path of the second laser light source, and the outgoing laser light of the second laser light source is reflected by the second mirror and is directed to the second optical modulation system.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the forming unit comprises a forming cavity, a scanning galvanometer, a power spreading system and a motion system;

the welding unit includes a mechanical arm and a pressure applying unit, the mechanical arm is welded through the laser unit for additive manufacturing under the pressure applied by the pressure applying unit;

the pressure applying unit includes mechanical pressure, pneumatic pressure, and electromagnetic pressure;

the forming cavity is provided with an air inlet for charging inert gas and an air outlet for vacuuming;

the scanning galvanometer is located at the top of the forming cavity, and the laser emitted by the laser unit is reflected and is emitted to the bottom of the forming cavity in a scanning mode;

the powder spreading system and the motion system are located at the bottom of the forming cavity;

preferably the control unit includes a computer, a laser range finder, a third mirror and an image sensor;

the computer is electrically connected with the laser range finder and the image sensor respectively;

the third mirror is located on the light path of the light emitted by the first laser light source, and the light path of the light beam from the first laser light source passing though the third mirror is the same as that of the laser beam of the laser range finder reflected by the third mirror;

preferably the first laser light source is a 1064 nm of continuous wave fiber laser, and the second laser light source is a 532 nm of picosecond laser.