3D printing technology has been widely applied in many fields such as aerospace, medical equipment, precision instruments, etc., especially in the manufacturing of high-precision components, playing an irreplaceable role. 3D printing of high-precision components requires extremely strict environmental conditions, even trace amounts of moisture and oxygen can lead to decreased material performance, component cracking, dimensional accuracy deviation, and other issues, seriously affecting the quality and reliability of the finished product. As a professional environmental control device, the glove box can effectively control the water and oxygen content when 3D printing high-precision components, providing an ideal low water and oxygen environment for the printing process.
Closed loop system: building a stable foundation for water and oxygen control
The airtightness and circulation system of the 3D printed glove box are the basis for controlling its water and oxygen content.
High quality sealing design: prevents external water and oxygen from entering
The sealing design of 3D printed glove boxes is crucial for controlling water and oxygen content. The glove box body is made of 304 stainless steel material, with a thickness of 3mm, and has good strength and sealing. The top, back, and bottom of the box adopt integrated bending technology, and the steel plates on both sides are welded continuously. Non destructive testing is carried out to ensure the sealing performance of the box.
The front window is sealed with an O-ring vacuum flange and paired with tempered glass with a thickness of up to 8mm. O-ring has good elasticity and sealing properties, which can effectively prevent external air from infiltrating through the window gap. The high-strength characteristics of tempered glass further ensure the reliability of sealing, even under certain external impacts, it can remain intact and prevent water and oxygen leakage caused by seal damage.
The glove opening, as a key part for interaction between operators and the interior of the glove box, also adopts strict sealing design. Its material is aluminum alloy and equipped with an O-ring seal to ensure that the operator's gloves are tightly attached to the glove opening, preventing external air from infiltrating through this connection.
Circulating purification: creating a low water oxygen atmosphere environment
The working gas inside the glove box is circulated in a closed manner between the box body and the purification column (water oxygen adsorber) under the precise control of the PLC through pipelines, circulating fans, etc. As the circulation time passes, the water oxygen content in the working gas inside the box will gradually decrease, ultimately reaching an extremely low index of<1ppm. This circulation method ensures that the gas inside the box is always in a state of no water or oxygen.
The purification column is a key component for removing water and oxygen from the glove box. The container material is made of 304 stainless steel, which has good corrosion resistance and sealing, ensuring the stability and reliability of the purification process. The copper catalyst and molecular sieve filled in the purification column have strong adsorption capacity. Copper catalysts can effectively catalyze the oxidation of water molecules, converting them into other substances, thereby reducing water content; Molecular sieves have a unique pore structure that can selectively adsorb oxygen molecules, further reducing oxygen content.
After a period of cyclic use, the purification column will gradually become saturated with adsorption. At this point, regeneration is initiated through the PLC system of the 3D printed glove box, which restores the activity of the purification material through heating and other methods, thereby achieving the reuse of the purification column. This regeneration mechanism enables the purification material to restore stable water and oxygen adsorption effects, maintaining a stable low water and oxygen atmosphere inside the 3D printed glove box.
Monitoring and Control System: Real time guarantee of water and oxygen indicators
The 3D printed glove box is equipped with a water and oxygen monitoring and control system. High precision dew point analyzer and oxygen analyzer are used to monitor the moisture and oxygen content inside the box in real time.
The monitoring system will transmit the real-time collected water and oxygen data to the PLC control system. The PLC system will automatically adjust the speed, regulating valve and other parameters of the circulating fan according to the preset water and oxygen index range, ensuring that the water and oxygen content in the box remains at an extremely low level of<1ppm.
The 3D printed glove box achieves precise control of water and oxygen content through the synergistic effect of good sealing, efficient circulation purification system, and water and oxygen monitoring and control system. This strict water oxygen control environment provides a more stable and reliable guarantee for 3D printing technology, which helps to promote the further development and application of 3D printing technology in the field of high-precision component manufacturing.
