3D printer and method for a 3D printer

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a 3D printer and a method for a 3D printer. The 3D printer comprises: a print platform comprising a print plane for carrying a printed object; a print head configured to be movable relative to the print platform; at least one sensor mounted at the print platform and configured to generate a sensing signal indicative of a force applied to the print plane; and a processor configured to: control the print head to move from a predetermined position towards the print plane; determine, based on the sensing signal from the at least one sensor, that the print head has contacted the print plane; in response to determining that the print head has contacted the print plane, determine a distance by which the print head has moved from the predetermined position in a Z-axis direction of the 3D printer; and determine, from the determined distance, a position of the print plane in the Z-axis direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to the field of 3D printing technology, and more specifically to a 3D printer for achieving leveling of the printing platform and a method for using the 3D printer. Background Technology

[0002] 3D printers (also known as three-dimensional printers or stereo printers) construct three-dimensional objects by printing layer by layer. In related technologies, a 3D printer includes a print head for extruding printing material and a printing platform for depositing the printing material to form a three-dimensional object. The print head is configured to move relative to the printing platform and extrude printing material onto the surface of the printing platform while moving. The printing material is deposited layer by layer on the surface of the printing platform and fused together to print a three-dimensional object.

[0003] The printing accuracy of 3D objects is affected by a variety of factors. Whether the surface of the printing platform on which the 3D object is formed is in the predetermined position and angle, especially whether it is a horizontal plane, is one of the most crucial factors determining printing accuracy. Therefore, further improvements are needed in the positioning and leveling technology of the printing platform.

[0004] The methods described in this section are not necessarily methods that had been previously conceived or adopted. Unless otherwise specified, no method described in this section should be assumed to be prior art simply because it is included in this section. Similarly, unless otherwise specified, the issues mentioned in this section should not be considered to be accepted in any prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a 3D printer and a method for using the 3D printer.

[0006] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a 3D printer is provided. The 3D printer includes: a printing platform including a printing plane for carrying a printed object; a print head configured to move relative to the printing platform; at least one sensor mounted on the printing platform and configured to generate a sensing signal indicating a force applied to the printing plane; and a processor configured to: control the print head to move from a predetermined position toward the printing plane; determine, based on the sensing signal from the at least one sensor, that the print head has contacted the printing plane; determine, in response to determining that the print head has contacted the printing plane, a distance the print head has moved from the predetermined position in the Z-axis direction of the 3D printer; and determine, based on the determined distance, the position of the printing plane in the Z-axis direction.

[0007] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for a 3D printer is provided, the 3D printer comprising: a printing platform including a printing plane for carrying a printed object; a print head configured to move relative to the printing platform; at least one sensor mounted on the printing platform and configured to generate a sensing signal indicating a force applied to the printing plane; and a processor, the method comprising: controlling the print head to move from a predetermined position toward the printing plane by the processor; determining, based on the sensing signal from the at least one sensor, that the print head has contacted the printing plane; determining, in response to determining that the print head has contacted the printing plane, a distance the print head has moved from the predetermined position in a Z-axis direction of the 3D printer by the processor; and determining, based on the determined distance, a position of the printing plane in the Z-axis direction by the processor.

[0008] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0009] In the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals throughout the various drawings denote the same or similar parts or elements. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings depict only some embodiments disclosed in this disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0010] Figure 1 A structural diagram of a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0011] Figure 2 A flexible cantilever structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 3 An arrangement for mounting sensors in a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0013] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 A magnified view of the layout structure.

[0014] Figure 5 Another arrangement for mounting sensors in a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0015] Figure 6 A flowchart of a method for a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0016] Figure 7 An embodiment according to this disclosure is shown in Figure 6 The flowchart illustrates an example operation in the method for determining whether the print head has made contact with the printing plane. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, including various details of the embodiments to aid understanding, and should be considered merely exemplary. Therefore, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Similarly, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and structures are omitted in the following description.

[0018] In this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, the use of terms such as "first," "second," etc., to describe various elements is not intended to limit the positional, temporal, or importance relationships of these elements; such terms are merely used to distinguish one element from another. In some examples, the first element and the second element may refer to the same instance of that element, while in other cases, based on the context, they may refer to different instances.

[0019] The terminology used in the description of the various examples described in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular examples only and is not intended to be limiting. Unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise, an element may be one or more unless the number of elements is specifically limited. Furthermore, the term "and / or" as used in this disclosure covers any one of the listed items and all possible combinations thereof.

[0020] In extrusion-based (e.g., fused deposition modeling) 3D printing technologies, printing material extruded from the print head is deposited layer by layer onto a plane defined by the printing platform. Generally, this plane needs to be a flat surface and perpendicular to the Z-axis of the 3D printer. Otherwise, misalignment of the printing material will occur during the layer-by-layer deposition process. This will result in printing defects such as vertical axial deviation of the printed object, decreased shape accuracy, or even printing failure.

[0021] Therefore, to ensure print quality and success rate, the printing platform needs to be leveled before printing. This leveling operation includes at least: detecting whether the plane defined by the printing platform is flat, and calibrating the position of this plane to adjust it perpendicular to the Z-axis direction of the print head. Related technologies include manual and automatic leveling solutions. Manual leveling relies on the operator manually manipulating the mechanical structure, which has drawbacks such as complexity and susceptibility to human error. While automatic leveling reduces the impact of human intervention, it inevitably increases the structural and circuit complexity of the 3D printer, thus increasing costs. Furthermore, there is significant room for improvement in leveling accuracy and reliability.

[0022] This disclosure provides an improved 3D printer that overcomes at least one of the above-described problems.

[0023] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 A 3D printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The 3D printer 100 includes a printing platform 110 and a print head 120. The print head 120 is configured to be movable relative to the printing platform 110. The printing platform 110 defines a printing plane 112. Printing material extruded from the print head 120 is deposited layer by layer on the printing plane 112 defined by the printing platform 110, thereby printing a three-dimensional object.

[0025] The 3D printer 100 also includes at least one sensor 130, which will be combined with the following text. Figure 2-6 As described in detail, at least one sensor 130 is mounted on the printing platform 110 and configured to generate a sensing signal indicating the force applied to the printing plane 112. Mounting at least one sensor on the printing platform 110 at least simplifies the sensor mounting structure and facilitates circuit wiring.

[0026] Sensor 130 can be any type of sensor capable of generating the aforementioned sensing signal. In one example, the sensor is a piezoelectric ceramic sensor. A force applied to the printed surface 112 causes a corresponding deformation in the piezoelectric ceramic sensor. The piezoelectric ceramic sensor is further capable of generating a sensing signal (e.g., potential difference) indicating the force applied to the printed surface 112 based on the amount of deformation. Piezoelectric ceramic sensors are low-cost and highly reliable. Using a piezoelectric ceramic sensor at least helps to reduce costs and improve reliability.

[0027] In addition, the 3D printer 100 also includes a processor for controlling the printing operation of the 3D printer 100. The processor can be integrated into the 3D printer 100. In another embodiment, the processor can be independent of the 3D printer 100 and communicate with the 3D printer 100 via wired or wireless means. Before the printing operation, the processor can control the 3D printer 100 to automatically level the printing platform 110. During the automatic leveling operation, the processor can control the print head 120 to move from a predetermined position toward the printing plane 112. When the print head 120 contacts the printing plane 112, the print head 120 applies a force to the printing platform 110. The force generated by this contact can be sensed by at least one sensor 130 and indicated by the sensing signal of the sensor 130. Based on the sensing signal, the processor can determine that the print head 120 has contacted the printing plane 112. Further, in response to determining that the print head 120 has contacted the printing plane 112, the processor can determine the distance the print head 120 has moved from the predetermined position in the Z-axis direction of the printer. Based on the determined distance, the processor can determine the position of the printing plane 112 in the stated direction. In one example, multiple predetermined positions at the same height can be selected as needed. The processor can control the print head 120 to move from these multiple predetermined positions toward the printing plane 112 and determine multiple distances. By comparing the multiple distances, it can be determined whether the printing plane 112 is a flat surface. Moreover, by determining the distance the print head 120 moves from at least three non-collinear predetermined positions in the Z-axis direction of the printer 100, the position of the printing plane 112 can be marked in the printer's coordinate system, thereby determining whether the printing plane 112 is perpendicular to the Z-axis direction of the 3D printer 100.

[0028] Any number of sensors 130 can be installed on the printing platform 110. In one example, three sensors 130 can be selected and installed at three non-collinear locations on the printing platform 110. In this case, the processor can determine the resultant force applied to the printing plane 112 based on the sensing signals from the three sensors 130. In response to the resultant force exceeding a predetermined threshold, the processor determines that the print head 120 has contacted the printing plane 112. Compared to relying solely on the sensing signal of a single sensor, using three sensors 130 and calculating the resultant force on the printing platform 110 based on the three sensing signals ensures that the print head 120 can reliably sense and determine that it has contacted the printing plane 112, regardless of its location. Moreover, the environment in which the 3D printer 100 operates often contains many interfering factors, causing fluctuations in sensor measurements. Comparing the resultant force with a predetermined threshold reduces erroneous judgments due to fluctuations in the measurements of a single sensor, further improving the reliability of sensing and judgment. On the other hand, since the calculated resultant force mitigates the fluctuations in individual sensor measurements to some extent, the predetermined threshold can be determined more reasonably without sacrificing sensitivity to ensure reliability. For example, the predetermined threshold can be set as low as possible, thereby improving the sensitivity in detecting contact.

[0029] Furthermore, the sensor 130 can be mounted to the printing platform 110 in any manner, as long as it can sense the force applied to the printing plane 112. In one example, such as Figure 1 As shown, sensor 130 is mounted on a flexible cantilever structure 115 of printing platform 110. The flexible cantilever structure 115 is configured to deform under the force applied to printing plane 112. Mounting the sensor via the flexible cantilever structure 115 enables the sensor to sense the force applied to printing plane 112 more sensitively and reliably.

[0030] Figure 2 A flexible cantilever structure 115 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The flexible cantilever structure 115 includes: a body 210; a first cantilever 220 extending from the body 210; and a second cantilever 230 extending from the body 210. The first cantilever 220 and the second cantilever 230 are configured to connect at a position 240 away from the body 210, such that deformation of the first cantilever 220 is transmitted to the second cantilever 230. A sensor 130 is mounted on the second cantilever 230. In this way, the amount of deformation of the second cantilever 230 can be adjusted by adjusting the position and structure of the connection between the first cantilever 220 and the second cantilever 230, thereby adjusting the sensitivity of the sensor 130. This makes the sensor-mounted printing platform arrangement structure of the present disclosure portable. By fine-tuning the flexible cantilever structure, the printing platform arrangement structure according to the present disclosure can be adapted to various 3D printers with different load requirements. Figure 2 One possible structure is shown. As shown, a first cantilever 220 and a second cantilever 230 extend in the same direction from a portion 215 of the body 210, and the first cantilever 220 is arranged to surround the outside of the second cantilever 230. The first cantilever 220 and the second cantilever 230 are connected via a connecting portion 260 at a position 240 opposite to the portion 215 of the body 210.

[0031] Furthermore, Figure 3 and Figure 5 Two different example arrangements for mounting sensors according to embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. By including the aforementioned flexible cantilever structure in the arrangement and utilizing the flexible cantilever structure to mount the sensor to the printing platform, the requirements for sensing sensitivity and strength can be met through a simple structural design. In particular, the entire arrangement for mounting the sensor no longer requires additional structures designed for sensor mounting, further reducing structural complexity and cost.

[0032] First of all, let's look at Figure 3 The printing platform 110 is configured to include a printing platen 310 and a printing platen support 320 supporting the printing platen 310. The printing platen 310 provides a printing surface 112. Three flexible cantilever structures 115 are installed between the printing platen 310 and the printing platen support 320. Three sensors 130 are respectively mounted to the three flexible cantilever structures 115. The printing platen 310 and the printing platen support 320 can adopt any suitable shape and configuration as needed. The three flexible cantilever structures 115 can be installed in any position. Figure 3 In this embodiment, the printing plate 310 is rectangular. Correspondingly, the printing plate support 320 is also rectangular. Two of the three flexible cantilever structures 115 are arranged at one edge of the rectangle, and the remaining one of the three flexible cantilever structures 115 is arranged at the opposite edge.

[0033] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 A magnified view of the layout structure. (See attached image.) Figure 4 As shown, the body 210 of the flexible cantilever structure 115 is connected to the upper surface of the printing platen support 320. The first cantilever 220 of the flexible cantilever structure 115 is connected to the lower surface of the printing platen 310. The sensor 130 is mounted to the second cantilever 230 of the flexible cantilever structure 115. Thus, when a force is applied to the printing plane 112, the first cantilever 220 of the flexible cantilever structure 115 will deform due to its connection to the printing platen 130 providing the printing plane 112. (As mentioned above...) Figure 2As described in detail, the first cantilever 220 is connected to the second cantilever 230, such that deformation of the first cantilever 220 is transmitted to the second cantilever 230. The sensor 130 mounted on the second cantilever 230 senses the deformation and generates a sensing signal indicating the force applied to the printing platen 310 accordingly.

[0034] The first cantilever 220 of the flexible cantilever structure 115 can be connected to the lower surface of the printing plate 310 in any way. Figure 3 , Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the first cantilever 220 is bolted to the lower surface of the printing plate 310. In one example, a spring 410 is also fitted outside the bolted connection to elevate the printing plate 310 relative to the flexible cantilever structure 115, creating a gap between them. This gap prevents the printing plate 310 from contacting other parts of the flexible cantilever structure 115, thus preventing the flexible cantilever structure 115 from deforming properly. The spring 410 can be replaced by a spacer such as a washer or a plastic sleeve.

[0035] Figure 5 The example layout structure shown is similar to Figure 4 Similarly, the printing platform 110 is also configured to include a printing plate 510 and a printing plate holder 520 supporting the printing plate 510. The printing plate 510 provides a printing surface 112. Three sensors 130 are respectively mounted to three flexible cantilever structures 115.

[0036] Figure 5 The example layout structure shown is similar to Figure 4 The difference lies in the following: the flexible cantilever structure 115 is mounted below the printing platen support 520. The body 210 of the flexible cantilever structure 115 is connected to the lower surface of the printing platen support 520. The first cantilever 220 of the flexible cantilever structure 115 is connected to other structures of the 3D printer. Thus, when a force is applied to the printing plane 112, the force is transmitted from the printing platen 130 providing the printing plane 112 to the printing platen support 520, and the body 210 of the flexible cantilever structure 115 will deform due to its connection to the printing platen support 520. However, the first cantilever 510 will not deform due to its connection to other structures of the 3D printer. A sensor 130 mounted on the second cantilever 230 senses the deformation and generates a sensing signal indicating the force applied to the printing platen support 520 accordingly. It should be understood that... Figure 5 The illustrated arrangement structure generates a sensing signal in response to a force applied to the printing plane 112. Figure 4 The layout structures shown are the same. The difference lies in... Figure 5 The deformation process of the flexible cantilever structure 115 in the illustrated arrangement is related to... Figure 4 The opposite is true.

[0037] The body 210 of the flexible cantilever structure 115 can be connected to the lower surface of the printing plate holder 520 in any way. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the body 210 is bolted to the lower surface of the printhead holder 520. In one example, a gasket is provided at the bolted connection to create a gap between the flexible cantilever structure 115 and the printhead holder 520. This gap prevents the printhead holder 520 from contacting other parts of the flexible cantilever structure 115, thus preventing the flexible cantilever structure 115 from deforming properly. The gasket can be replaced with a spacer such as a sleeve.

[0038] also, Figure 5 The example layout structure shown is similar to Figure 4 The difference also lies in the fact that the three flexible cantilever structures 115 are respectively arranged at three different edges of the rectangular printing plate holder 520.

[0039] In some embodiments, the 3D printer 100 further includes a lifting mechanism 150. Figure 1 The processor is configured to control the lifting mechanism 150 based on the determined position of the print plane 112 to achieve leveling of the print plane 112. Figure 3 , Figure 4 In the illustrated arrangement, the lifting mechanism 150 is connected to the printing platen support 320 to adjust the vertical position of the printing plane 112. Figure 5 In the arrangement shown, the lifting mechanism 150 is connected to the first cantilever 220 of the three flexible cantilever structures 115 to adjust the vertical position of the printing plane 112.

[0040] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a method for 3D printers to achieve improved leveling. Figure 6 A flowchart of a method 600 for a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 As shown, the method 600 includes steps 610 to 640.

[0041] In step 610, the processor controls the print head to move from a predetermined position toward the printing plane. In step 620, based on sensing signals from at least one sensor, the processor determines that the print head has contacted the printing plane. When the print head contacts the printing plane, a force is applied to the printing plane. This contact force can be sensed by at least one sensor and indicated by the sensor's sensing signal. Step 620 determines that the print head has contacted the printing plane based on this sensing signal. In step 630, in response to determining that the print head has contacted the printing plane, the processor determines the distance the print head has moved from the predetermined position in the Z-axis direction of the 3D printer. In step 640, based on the determined distance, the processor determines the position of the printing plane in the Z-axis direction. In one example, multiple predetermined positions at the same height can be selected as needed. The print head is controlled to move toward the printing plane from these multiple predetermined positions, and multiple distances are determined. By comparing the multiple distances, it can be determined whether the printing plane is a flat surface. Furthermore, by determining the distance the print head moves from at least three non-collinear predetermined positions along the printer's Z-axis, the position of the printing plane can be marked in the printer's coordinate system, thereby determining whether the printing plane is perpendicular to the Z-axis direction of the 3D printer.

[0042] like Figure 7 As shown, the determination by the processor that the printhead has contacted the printing plane (step 620) further includes steps 710 and 720. In step 710, the processor determines the resultant force applied to the printing plane based on sensing signals from at least three sensors. In step 720, in response to the resultant force exceeding a predetermined threshold, the processor determines that the printhead has contacted the printing plane.

[0043] Return to reference Figure 6 In some embodiments, the method 600 according to embodiments of the present disclosure may further include step 650. In step 650, based on the determined position of the printing plane in the Z-axis direction, a processor controls a plurality of lifting mechanisms to level the printing plane.

[0044] It should be understood that in this specification, the terms "center," "longitudinal," "transverse," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship or dimensions based on the orientation or positional relationship or dimensions shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are used only for ease of description and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0045] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0046] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0047] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0048] This specification provides many different implementations or examples that can be used to implement this disclosure. It should be understood that these different implementations or examples are entirely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure in any way. Those skilled in the art will be able to conceive of various variations or substitutions based on the disclosure of this specification, and these should all be covered within the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure should be determined by the scope defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A 3D printer, comprising: A printing platform, the printing platform including a printing plane for supporting the object to be printed; A printhead configured to move relative to the printing platform; At least one sensor is mounted at the printing platform and configured to generate a sensing signal indicating the force applied to the printing plane; as well as Processor, the processor being configured to: Control the print head to move from a predetermined position toward the printing plane; Based on the sensing signals from the at least one sensor, it is determined that the print head has contacted the printing plane; In response to determining that the print head has contacted the printing plane, the distance the print head has moved from the predetermined position in the Z-axis direction of the 3D printer is determined; as well as Based on the determined distance, the position of the printing plane in the Z-axis direction is determined. The at least one sensor includes at least three sensors, which are respectively installed at different positions on the printing platform. At least one of these different positions is not collinear with any of the other positions. The positions of the at least three sensors correspond to the positions of the at least three lifting mechanisms of the 3D printer.

2. The 3D printer according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is further configured to: The resultant force applied to the printing plane is determined based on the sensing signals from the at least three sensors; as well as In response to the resultant force exceeding a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the print head has contacted the printing plane.

3. The 3D printer according to claim 1, wherein, The printing platform also includes: At least three flexible cantilever structures are configured to deform in response to a force applied to the printing plane, and wherein at least three sensors are respectively mounted on the at least three flexible cantilever structures to generate a sensing signal indicating the force applied to the printing plane by sensing the deformation; and Wherein, at least one of the at least three flexible cantilever structures includes: The main body is mounted on the printing platform; A first cantilever extending from the body; and A second cantilever extending from the body, the second cantilever including a proximal end connected to the body and a distal end opposite to the proximal end, Wherein, one of the at least three sensors is mounted on the second cantilever, and The first cantilever is connected to the distal end of the second cantilever.

4. The 3D printer according to claim 3, wherein, The printing platform also includes: A printing platen, the printing platen providing the printing plane; and A printing plate holder that supports the printing plate. Wherein, at least one of the at least three flexible cantilever structures is installed between the printing plate and the plate support, and The body of the at least one flexible cantilever structure is connected to the upper surface of the printing plate holder, and the first cantilever of the at least one flexible cantilever structure is connected to the lower surface of the printing plate.

5. The 3D printer according to claim 4 further includes a plurality of lifting mechanisms, the plurality of lifting mechanisms being connected to the printing plate support to adjust the position of the printing plane in the Z-axis direction. in, The processor is further configured to control the plurality of lifting mechanisms according to the determined position of the printing plane in the Z-axis direction to achieve leveling of the printing plane.

6. The 3D printer according to claim 3, wherein, The printing platform also includes: A printing platen, the printing platen providing the printing plane; and A printing plate holder that supports the printing plate. Wherein, at least one of the at least three flexible cantilever structures is installed below the printing plate holder, and The body of the at least one flexible cantilever structure is connected to the lower surface of the printing plate holder.

7. The 3D printer according to claim 6 further includes a plurality of lifting mechanisms, at least one of the plurality of lifting mechanisms being respectively connected to the first cantilever of at least one of the at least three flexible cantilever structures to adjust the position of the printing plane in the Z-axis direction. in, The processor is further configured to control the plurality of lifting mechanisms according to the determined position of the printing plane in the Z-axis direction to achieve leveling of the printing plane.

8. The 3D printer according to any one of claims 4-7, wherein, The printing plate is a rectangular plate, and the first, second and third flexible cantilever structures of the at least three flexible cantilever structures are arranged corresponding to three different edges of the rectangular plate.

9. The 3D printer according to any one of claims 4-7, wherein, The printing plate is a rectangular plate, and wherein the first and second flexible cantilever structures of the at least three flexible cantilever structures are arranged corresponding to one edge of the rectangular plate, and the third flexible cantilever structure of the at least three flexible cantilever structures is arranged corresponding to the other edge of the rectangular plate.

10. The 3D printer according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The at least one sensor is a piezoelectric ceramic sensor.

11. A method for using a 3D printer, the 3D printer comprising: A printing platform, the printing platform including a printing plane for supporting the object to be printed; A printhead configured to move relative to the printing platform; At least one sensor is mounted at the printing platform and configured to generate a sensing signal indicating the force applied to the printing plane; The method includes: and a processor. The processor controls the print head to move from a predetermined position toward the printing plane; Based on sensing signals from the at least one sensor, the processor determines that the print head has contacted the printing plane; In response to determining that the print head has contacted the printing plane, the processor determines the distance the print head has moved from the predetermined position in the Z-axis direction of the 3D printer; and Based on the determined distance, the processor determines the position of the printing plane in the Z-axis direction. The at least one sensor includes at least three sensors, which are respectively installed at different positions on the printing platform. At least one of these different positions is not collinear with any of the other positions. The positions of the at least three sensors correspond to the positions of the at least three lifting mechanisms of the 3D printer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The processor determining that the printhead has contacted the printing plane further includes: Based on sensing signals from the at least three sensors, the processor determines the resultant force applied to the printing plane; and In response to the resultant force exceeding a predetermined threshold, the processor determines that the print head has contacted the printing plane.

13. The method according to any one of claims 11-12, wherein, The 3D printer further includes a plurality of lifting mechanisms for adjusting the position of the printing plane in the Z-axis direction, and the method further includes: according to the determined position of the printing plane in the Z-axis direction, the processor controls the plurality of lifting mechanisms to achieve leveling of the printing plane.

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