3D inkjet printing apparatus, model material usage determination method and device

Abstract

The application provides a 3D inkjet printing device, a model material quantity determination method and device. The quantity of at least two model materials required by the 3D inkjet printing device for printing a 3D model can be determined according to different printing modes of the 3D inkjet printing device. Therefore, the quantity of the at least two model materials required for printing the 3D model can be determined more quickly and effectively before the 3D inkjet printing device prints the 3D model, so that early quotation and / or early judgment of whether the quantity of the materials stored in the 3D inkjet printing device can meet the requirements can be realized, and the materials for replenishment can be prepared in advance, so that the normal use of the 3D inkjet printing device is ensured, and the user experience of the 3D inkjet printing device is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of 3D inkjet printing equipment technology, and in particular to a 3D inkjet printing device, a method and apparatus for determining the amount of model material used. Background Technology

[0002] 3D inkjet printing equipment is a type of printing equipment that can print 3D models using additive manufacturing technology. Additive manufacturing technology can also be called 3D printing technology. In the process of printing 3D models, 3D inkjet printing equipment forms 3D models layer by layer, and these layers are stacked one by one to ultimately form the 3D model. It has advantages such as high forming efficiency, low material waste, effective cost savings in manufacturing, and the ability to create various complex and aesthetically pleasing 3D models.

[0003] In existing technologies, 3D inkjet printers aim to determine the required amounts of different model materials before printing a 3D model. This allows them to assess whether the stored material is sufficient and to prepare additional materials in advance. However, current 3D inkjet printers primarily determine the total material required based on the volume of the 3D model. When printing with at least two different model materials, the amount of each material cannot be determined separately. This means that the material quantity determined directly based on the model's volume cannot be used to assess the adequacy of the stored material, impacting the printer's normal operation and ultimately reducing the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a 3D inkjet printing device, a method and apparatus for determining the amount of model material, to solve the technical problem in the prior art that the amount of different model materials required for printing 3D models cannot be determined, thereby affecting the normal use of the 3D inkjet printing device and reducing the user experience.

[0005] The first aspect of this application provides a method for determining the amount of model material used in a 3D inkjet printing device, comprising: determining model data of a 3D model to be printed; determining the printing mode of the 3D model; the printing mode includes one of a first printing mode and a second printing mode; the amount of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printing device to print the 3D model differs between the first printing mode and the second printing mode; and determining the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printing device to print the 3D model based on the model data of the 3D model and the printing mode.

[0006] In one embodiment of the first aspect of this application, determining the printing mode of a 3D model includes: determining the printing mode of the 3D model based on the model data of the 3D model. This embodiment allows for more automated and intelligent determination of the printing mode based on the model data of the 3D model to be printed, and makes the determined printing mode more suitable for the current 3D model.

[0007] In one embodiment of the first aspect of this application, determining the printing mode of a 3D model includes: receiving, via an interface, the printing mode of the 3D model determined by a user based on the model data of the 3D model. In this embodiment, the printing mode of the 3D model is determined based on the received user-indicated printing mode, thereby eliminating the need for calculations to determine the printing mode, reducing the computational load required by the model material usage determination device, enhancing user control over the 3D inkjet printing equipment, and improving the user experience.

[0008] In one embodiment of the first aspect of this application, the model data includes at least one of the following: data format information, model structural information, model color information, and model mechanical performance information. The model data provided in this embodiment is quite flexible and can enrich application scenarios.

[0009] In one embodiment of the first aspect of this application, when the format information of the data in the model data is a data format with color attributes, the printing mode of the 3D model is a first printing mode; when the format information of the data in the model data is a data format without color attributes, the printing mode of the 3D model is a second printing mode; or, when the format information of the data in the model data is a data format with color attributes, the printing mode of the 3D model is a first printing mode; when the format information of the data in the model data is a data format without color attributes and the number of polygonal faces per unit area in the structural information of the model is greater than a specified threshold, the printing mode of the 3D model is a first printing mode; when the number of polygonal faces per unit area in the structural information of the model data is less than or equal to a specified threshold, the printing mode of the 3D model is a second printing mode. This embodiment can determine different printing modes according to different model data, thereby determining the amount of at least two different model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model under different printing modes, and can quickly and accurately determine the amount of different model materials, and the determined amount of model materials is more in line with actual needs.

[0010] In one embodiment of the first aspect of this application, when the printing mode of the 3D model is a first printing mode, the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model is determined based on the model data of the 3D model and the printing mode, including: determining the outer shell attribute region and the inner filling region of the 3D model based on the model data of the 3D model; wherein the outer shell attribute region covers the surface of the inner filling region; determining the volume of the outer shell attribute region and the at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the outer shell attribute region; and determining the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the outer shell attribute region based on the volume of the outer shell attribute region and the at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the outer shell attribute region. The method involves determining the amount of one type of model material used; determining the volume of the internal filling region and the droplet distribution information of a single voxel in the internal filling region printed by the 3D inkjet printer in the first printing mode; determining the amount of at least one type of model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the internal filling region based on the volume of the internal filling region and the droplet distribution information of a single voxel in the internal filling region printed by the 3D inkjet printer in the first printing mode; and determining the amount of at least two types of model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model based on the amount of at least one type of model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region and the amount of at least one type of model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the internal filling region. This embodiment provides a method for determining the amount of model material used by a 3D inkjet printer in the first printing mode, thereby enabling the determination of the amount of model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model more quickly and effectively based on the sum of the amounts of the same model material used in the two regions, according to the characteristics of the 3D model being divided into a shell attribute region and an internal filling region in the first printing mode.

[0011] In one embodiment, determining the volume of the shell attribute region includes: determining the surface area of ​​the shell attribute region based on model data of the 3D model; determining the thickness of the shell attribute region printed by the 3D inkjet printer; and determining the volume of the shell attribute region based on the surface area and thickness of the shell attribute region.

[0012] In one embodiment, determining the volume of the internal filling region includes: determining the volume of the 3D model based on model data of the 3D model; and determining the volume of the internal filling region based on the volume of the 3D model and the volume of the shell attribute region.

[0013] This embodiment provides a method for determining the volume of the outer shell property region and / or the internal filling region. The calculation method is relatively simple and can improve the calculation speed and efficiency when determining the amount of model material.

[0014] In one embodiment, determining the amount of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region based on the volume of the shell attribute region and the at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region includes: determining that the amount of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region is equal to the volume of the shell attribute region, based on the volume of the shell attribute region and the at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region. This embodiment provides a faster and more efficient method for determining the amount of at least one model material required for printing the shell attribute region by the 3D inkjet printer.

[0015] In one embodiment, the amount of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the internal filling region is determined based on the volume of the internal filling region and the droplet distribution information of a single voxel in the internal filling region printed by the 3D inkjet printer in a first printing mode. This includes: determining, based on the droplet distribution information of a single voxel in the internal filling region printed by the 3D inkjet printer in the first printing mode, the ratio of the number of droplets of each model material to the total number of droplets of all materials in a single voxel, or the ratio of the volume of each model material to the volume of all model materials in a single voxel; and determining the amount of each model material among the at least one model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the internal filling region by multiplying the ratio corresponding to each model material by the volume of the internal filling region. This embodiment provides a faster and more effective method for determining the amount of at least one model material required for printing the internal filling region by the 3D inkjet printer, and the determined amount is more accurate.

[0016] In one embodiment, when the printing mode of the 3D model is a second printing mode, the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model is determined based on the model data of the 3D model and the printing mode. This includes: determining at least one single model attribute region of the 3D model and the volume of each single model attribute region based on the model data of the 3D model; determining information about at least one primary color model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print each single model attribute region based on a color profile; determining the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print each single model attribute region based on the volume of each single model attribute region, the information about at least one primary color model material used in each single model attribute region, and the ink droplet distribution information of a single voxel in the second printing mode; and determining the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model based on the amount of at least two model materials used in the 3D inkjet printer to print each single model attribute region. This embodiment provides a method for a 3D inkjet printer to determine the amount of model material used in a second printing mode. This method is based on the characteristic that the 3D model is divided into at least one single model attribute region in the second printing mode, and determines the amount of model material used in each single model attribute region. Finally, based on the sum of the amounts of the same model material used in all single model attribute regions, the method can more quickly and effectively determine the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model.

[0017] In one embodiment of the first aspect of this application, the information on at least one primary color model material includes: at least one primary color model material in each single model attribute region, and the maximum volume percentage of each primary color model material in the single model attribute region; the ink droplet distribution information for printing a single voxel in each single model attribute region by the 3D inkjet printer in the second printing mode includes the total volume of ink droplets in a single voxel, the number of ink droplets in a single voxel, and the type of filling material in a single voxel, or the number of ink droplets in a single voxel, the volume of a single ink droplet, and the type of filling material in a single voxel; the at least two model materials include a filling material and at least one primary color model material. Based on the information on the primary color model material in a single model attribute region, this embodiment more accurately determines the types of model materials required and the amount of different types of model materials when the 3D inkjet printer prints a single model attribute region, thereby improving the accuracy of determining the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print a 3D model.

[0018] In one embodiment of the first aspect of this application, the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print each single model attribute region is determined based on the volume of each single model attribute region, information on at least one primary color model material used in each single model attribute region, and droplet distribution information of a single voxel in the 3D inkjet printer printing each single model attribute region in a second printing mode. This includes: determining the number of voxels and the volume of a single droplet of at least two model materials in each single model attribute region based on the volume of each single model attribute region and the droplet distribution information of a single voxel in the 3D inkjet printer printing each single model attribute region in the second printing mode; and determining the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print each single model attribute region based on the volume of each single model attribute region, the number of voxels in each single model attribute region, information on at least one primary color model material, and the volume of a single droplet of at least two model materials. This embodiment provides a faster and more effective method for determining the amount of at least one model material required for a 3D inkjet printer to print a single model attribute region, resulting in a more accurate determination of the amount.

[0019] In one embodiment of the first aspect of this application, after determining the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model based on the model data and printing mode of the 3D model, the method further includes: determining whether the 3D inkjet printer can print the 3D model based on the amount of the at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model and the remaining storage amount of the at least two model materials in the 3D inkjet printer; when it is determined that the 3D inkjet printer can print the 3D model, controlling the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model; when it is determined that the 3D inkjet printer cannot print the 3D model, controlling the 3D inkjet printer to issue a prompt command. In this embodiment, after obtaining the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model, it is also possible to determine whether the amount of model materials stored in the 3D inkjet printer is sufficient to meet the usage requirements, and to prepare materials for replenishment in advance. This ensures the normal use of the 3D inkjet printer, thereby improving the user experience of the 3D inkjet printer.

[0020] A second aspect of this application provides a 3D inkjet printing apparatus, which includes a model material usage determination device for performing a model material usage determination method as provided in any of the first aspects of this application.

[0021] The third aspect of this application provides a device for determining the amount of model material used in a 3D inkjet printing device, used to perform the method for determining the amount of model material used in a 3D inkjet printing device as provided in any of the first aspects of this application.

[0022] Beneficial effects:

[0023] The 3D inkjet printing equipment, model material usage determination method, and apparatus provided in this application can determine the usage of at least two types of model materials required for printing a 3D model based on different printing modes of the 3D inkjet printing equipment. Therefore, it can more accurately, quickly, and effectively determine the usage of at least two types of model materials required for printing a 3D model before printing, thereby determining in advance whether the amount of model material stored in the 3D inkjet printing equipment is sufficient to meet usage requirements, and preparing supplementary materials in advance. This ensures the normal operation of the 3D inkjet printing equipment, thereby improving the user experience. Alternatively, it allows users to pre-select other 3D models requiring less model material for printing, preventing printing interruptions that could damage the printed parts, reducing printing costs, increasing the first-pass success rate, and enhancing the user experience. Furthermore, since the method for determining the amount of model materials required for a 3D model can be used to determine the amount of each type of model material needed in advance, it also enables users or suppliers of 3D inkjet printing equipment to provide advance quotes based on the amount of at least two types of model materials required for printing a 3D model. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the 3D inkjet printing equipment provided in this application;

[0026] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the method for determining the amount of model material used in the 3D inkjet printing equipment provided in this application;

[0027] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an operating interface provided for this application;

[0028] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the method for determining the amount of model material used in the 3D inkjet printing equipment provided in this application;

[0029] Figure 5 A structural schematic diagram of a 3D model provided in this application;

[0030] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the shell attribute region and the internal filling region of a 3D model provided in this application;

[0031] Figure 7 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a 3D model provided in this application;

[0032] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a surface patch of a 3D model provided in this application;

[0033] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the projection structure of a triangular facet of a 3D model on a horizontal plane, provided in this application;

[0034] Figure 10 A schematic flowchart of another embodiment of the method for determining the amount of model material used in the 3D inkjet printing equipment provided in this application;

[0035] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a single model attribute region for a 3D model provided in this application;

[0036] Figure 12 A flowchart illustrating yet another embodiment of the method for determining the amount of model material used in the 3D inkjet printing equipment provided in this application;

[0037] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of a device for determining the amount of model material used in a 3D inkjet printing equipment, provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0039] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a particular order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented, for example, in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0040] The method for determining the amount of model material used in a 3D inkjet printing device provided in this application is applicable to any 3D printing device capable of printing multi-material 3D models. Specifically, the 3D printing device can be a printer. The embodiments of this application do not limit the shape and structure of the 3D model to be printed. The materials used in 3D model printing are collectively referred to as building materials, which can be divided into model materials and support materials. Model materials are used to print the solid structure of the 3D model, forming the 3D model; support materials are used to print support structures during the 3D model printing process to provide support for the 3D model and / or fill the holes. After the 3D model printing is completed, the support materials need to be removed from around the 3D model. The numbers in the flowchart of this application are not ranked or ordered, but are only used to distinguish the steps to be described, facilitating a simple and clear description of the technical solution of this application. The technical solution of this application will be described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the 3D inkjet printing device provided in this application, as shown below. Figure 1 The 3D inkjet printing equipment shown includes: a control unit 100, a print head 15, a material storage container 4, and a support platform 8, etc. It should be noted that, as... Figure 1 The 3D inkjet printing equipment shown is merely an example to illustrate the method for determining the amount of model material used in the 3D inkjet printing equipment provided in this application embodiment. The method for determining the amount of model material used in the 3D inkjet printing equipment provided in this application embodiment can also be applied to other 3D inkjet printing equipment.

[0042] The control device 100 can be used to control the 3D inkjet printing equipment to print the 3D model 1. The control device 100 can be an electronic device such as a computer or server, or it can also be a processing circuit set in the 3D inkjet printing equipment, such as a CPU, MCU, SOC, or other processor.

[0043] Specifically, the control device 100 controls the print head 15 to spray component material 6 onto the forming platform 8, forming a material layer 1n of the 3D model. The forming platform 8 supports the sprayed component material 6 and the 3D model 1 formed after printing. The material storage container 4 stores the component material 6 required for printing the 3D model. The component material 6 includes model material and / or support material. The material storage container 4 is connected to the print head 15 via an ink tube. According to the printing data of the 3D model, the control device 100 controls the print head 15 to selectively spray model material and / or support material 6 onto the supporting platform 8, forming a material layer 1n of the 3D model to be printed. The supporting platform 8 can be polygonal, circular, or other regular or irregular shapes, such as square, like a rectangle or square.

[0044] In one embodiment, the number of printheads 15 is at least one, that is, one or more. Specifically, printheads 15 may include single-channel printheads 15 and / or multi-channel printheads 15. Printhead 3 may be a piezoelectric inkjet printhead or a thermal bubble inkjet printhead; it may be a single-channel printhead, a dual-channel printhead, or a combination of single-channel and dual-channel printheads. This application does not limit the specific implementation of printhead 3, as long as inkjet printing can be achieved normally.

[0045] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 The 3D inkjet printing equipment shown also includes: a radiation source 7. The number of radiation sources 7 can be one or more. Figure 1 In the example shown, there are two radiation sources 7. The two radiation sources 7 are positioned on opposite sides of the print head 15. Figure 1 In the X direction, two radiation sources are positioned on the left and right sides of the printhead. For example, radiation source 7 may include a light-emitting device capable of providing radiation, such as an ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV LED) or a UV LED lamp.

[0046] The control device 100 can be used to control the radiation source 7 to provide radiation. Specifically, when the control device 100 controls the print head 15 to spray the build material 6 onto the support platform 8 and form a material layer 1n on the support platform 8, the control device 100 controls the radiation source 7 to turn on, so that the radiation source 7 provides radiation to the material layer 1n. The control device 100 controls the radiation sources 7 located on opposite sides of the print head 15 to not turn on simultaneously. Figure 1Taking the reciprocating movement of the printhead 15 in the X direction as an example, when the printhead 15 moves to the left for inkjet printing, the control device 100 controls the radiation source 7 located on the right side of the printhead 15 to turn on and controls the radiation source 7 located on the left side to turn off; when the printhead 15 moves to the right for inkjet printing, the control device 100 controls the radiation source 7 located on the left side of the printhead 15 to turn on and controls the radiation source 7 located on the right side to turn off. The radiation provided by the radiation source 7 can shorten the curing time of the material layer 1n and improve the curing degree of the material layer 1n.

[0047] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 The 3D inkjet printing equipment shown also includes a carriage 5. The print head 15 and the radiation source 7 are both mounted on the carriage 5. When the 3D inkjet printing equipment is printing, the support platform 8 does not move horizontally, and the carriage 5 drives the print head 15 to move at a constant speed relative to the support platform 8 in the scanning direction. Figure 1 The X direction shown is the scanning direction. The control device 100 controls the movement of the print head 5 in the scanning direction. When the print head 5 moves to the left in the scanning direction, the print head 15 sprays build material 6 onto the support platform 8 to form a material layer 1n. Simultaneously, the control device 100 controls the radiation source 7 located to the right of the print head 15 to turn on, providing radiation to the material layer 1n and causing it to polymerize. After the print head 5 moves a step distance in the non-scanning direction, as it moves to the right in the scanning direction, the control device 100 controls the print head 15 to spray build material 6 onto the support platform 8 to form a material layer 1n. Simultaneously, the control device 100 controls the radiation source 7 located to the right of the print head 15 to turn off and the radiation source 7 located to the left of the print head 15 to turn on, providing radiation to the material layer 1n and causing it to polymerize. As the print head 5 moves back and forth in the scanning direction, the print head 15 and radiation source 7 repeat the above inkjet printing process until a 3D model material layer 1n is formed.

[0048] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 The 3D inkjet printing equipment shown also includes a leveling component 16. The leveling component 16 is used to level the material layer 1n. The leveling component 16 is mounted on the carriage 5, specifically between the print head 15 and a radiation source 7. The leveling component 16 may include a leveling roller, whose rotation removes excess build material 6 distributed to the support platform 8, thereby improving the accuracy of the material layer 1n and thus improving the forming accuracy of the 3D model.

[0049] In one embodiment, the print head 15 and the support platform 8 can move relative to each other in the Z-direction. The Z-direction is parallel to the stacking direction of the material layer 1n of the 3D model to be printed, and also parallel to the direction from the print head 15 to the support platform 8; that is, the Z-direction is parallel to the direction from the support platform 8 to the print head 15. After forming one layer of the 3D model, the print head 15 and the support platform 8 move relative to each other in the Z-direction to increase their relative distance, providing sufficient space to accommodate new material layers 1n, thus continuously forming layers of the 3D model, allowing these layers to be stacked one after another to form the 3D model.

[0050] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 The 3D inkjet printing equipment shown also includes a lifting component 9. The lifting component 9 is connected to the support platform 8. The lifting component 9 is used to change the relative distance between the support platform 8 and the print head 15 in the Z direction. For example, the lifting component 9 can be used to move the support platform 8 downwards relative to the print head 15 by a certain distance in the Z direction, thereby increasing the relative distance between them and providing sufficient space to accommodate new material layers 1n, allowing for the continuous formation of 3D model layers, which are then stacked layer by layer to form the 3D model.

[0051] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 The 3D inkjet printing equipment shown also includes a model material usage determination device 101. This device can be used to determine the amount of different model materials used in printing the 3D model before the 3D inkjet printing equipment prints the 3D model, specifically before the print head of the 3D inkjet printing equipment performs the inkjet printing action. This allows the control device 100 to determine in advance whether the amount of material stored in the material storage container 4 of the 3D inkjet printing equipment is sufficient to meet the usage requirements, and to prepare supplementary materials in advance, and / or to allow the user to know in advance the amount of different model materials required for printing the 3D model, estimate printing costs in advance, and obtain a quote in advance.

[0052] In one embodiment, the model material usage determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printing equipment can be a device independent of the control device 100, or the model material usage determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printing equipment can also be integrated into the control device 100.

[0053] To address the technical problem in existing technologies where the amount of different model materials required for printing a 3D model cannot be determined in advance before printing, thus affecting the normal operation of the 3D inkjet printing equipment and reducing the user experience, this application embodiment also provides a method for determining the amount of model materials required for a 3D inkjet printing equipment. This method can be used to more quickly and effectively determine the amount of different model materials required when printing a 3D model. This method for determining the amount of model materials required for a 3D inkjet printing equipment can be achieved by... Figure 1 The model material usage determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printing equipment shown is executed, and is specifically used to determine the amount of different model materials in the building material 6 used to form the model itself.

[0054] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the method for determining the amount of model material used in the 3D inkjet printing equipment provided in this application. Figure 2 The methods shown include:

[0055] S101: Determine the model data of the 3D model to be printed.

[0056] In one embodiment, the control device 100 of the 3D inkjet printing equipment can scan the solid model corresponding to the 3D model to be printed using a connected scanner, perform 3D reconstruction to obtain the model data of the 3D model, and then the model material usage determination device 101 determines the model data of the 3D model to be printed through the control device 100. Alternatively, the control device 100 of the 3D inkjet printing equipment can also download the model data of the 3D model from a data platform and send it to the model material usage determination device 101, so that the model material usage determination device 101 determines the model data of the 3D model to be printed through the control device 100. Or, the control device 100 of the 3D inkjet printing equipment can also draw the model data of the 3D model to be printed and send it to the model material usage determination device 101, so that the model material usage determination device 101 determines the model data of the 3D model to be printed through the control device 100. Alternatively, the control device 100 of the 3D inkjet printer receives model data of the externally input 3D model and sends it to the model material usage determination device 101, so that the model material usage determination device 101 determines the model data of the 3D model to be printed through the control device 100. Other methods are also possible, which will not be listed here.

[0057] In one embodiment, the model data of the 3D model to be printed includes at least one of the following: data format information, model structural information, model color information, and model mechanical performance information.

[0058] In one embodiment, the data format of the 3D model can be divided into data formats with color attributes and data formats without color attributes. For example, data formats with color attributes can be PLY, OBJ, AMF, 3MF, VRML, etc. Data formats without color attributes can be STL, RPI, etc. The model data in the data format with color attributes includes the model's structural information and the model's attribute information. The model's attribute information is selected from either the model's color attributes or the model's mechanical performance attributes. The model's color attributes, also known as the model's color information, specifically refer to the model's surface color, such as red, yellow, green, purple, etc. The model's mechanical performance attributes, also known as the model's mechanical performance information, specifically refer to the model's surface material, such as soft, hard, etc. The model's structural information includes the model's geometry.

[0059] S102: Determine the printing mode of the 3D model. The printing mode includes one of a first printing mode and a second printing mode. When the 3D inkjet printer prints the same 3D model in both the first and second printing modes, the amount of at least one of the at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer differs.

[0060] It is understandable that the first printing mode and the second printing mode are executed by the 3D inkjet printer in different printing jobs. Different printing jobs correspond to different forming processes. The execution of the first and second printing modes in different printing jobs specifically means that only one printing mode, such as the first printing mode or the second printing mode, is executed in a single printing job; that is, only the first printing mode or the second printing mode is executed in the same forming process; and at least one object is printed in one forming process or one printing job.

[0061] In one embodiment, the model material usage determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printing equipment can receive the printing mode of the 3D model determined by the user based on the model data of the 3D model through an operating interface. For example, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an operating interface provided in this application. (For example...) Figure 3The user interface shown can be provided by the model material usage determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printer. For example, the model material usage determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printer can be connected to a display device such as a monitor, and the user interface provided by the monitor can display information corresponding to the two printing modes. Subsequently, the model material usage determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printer receives the printing mode determined by the user based on the model data of the 3D model through the user interface 102 provided by the monitor. Therefore, in this embodiment, the model material usage determination device 101 can determine the printing mode according to the received user instruction, thereby eliminating the need for calculations to determine the printing mode, reducing the amount of calculation required by the model material usage determination device 101, enhancing the user's control over the 3D inkjet printer, and improving the user experience.

[0062] In another embodiment, the model material usage determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printing equipment can determine the printing mode of the 3D model based on the model data of the 3D model determined in S101.

[0063] In another embodiment, the model material usage determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printing equipment can determine the printing mode of the 3D model based on the model data of the 3D model determined in S101, and can also receive the printing mode of the 3D model determined by the user based on the model data of the 3D model through the operation interface.

[0064] In one embodiment, when the data format information of the 3D model data to be printed is a data format with color attributes, the model material usage determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printer or the printing mode of the 3D model determined by the user is a first printing mode. When the data format information of the 3D model data to be printed is a data format without color attributes, the model material usage determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printer or the printing mode of the 3D model determined by the user is a second printing mode. The first printing mode may also be referred to as a textured mode, and the second printing mode may also be referred to as a non-textured mode.

[0065] Alternatively, in another embodiment, when the data format information of the model data of the 3D model to be printed is a data format with color attributes, the model material usage determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printing equipment or the printing mode of the 3D model determined by the user is the first printing mode.

[0066] When the data format of the 3D model to be printed is a data format without color attributes and the number of polygonal faces per unit area in the model structure information is greater than a specified threshold, the model material consumption determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printer or the printing mode of the 3D model determined by the user is determined as the first printing mode. Wherein, the number of polygonal faces per unit area in the model structure information being greater than the specified threshold is defined as a model with a complex structure and / or many fine structures. Such models have high requirements for surface quality, therefore the printing mode of this type of 3D model is determined as the first printing mode; for example, the specified threshold can be greater than or equal to 5 million.

[0067] When the data format of the 3D model to be printed is a data format without color attributes and the number of polygonal faces per unit area in the model structure information is less than or equal to a specified threshold, the model material consumption determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printing equipment or the printing mode of the 3D model determined by the user is the second printing mode.

[0068] Alternatively, in another embodiment, when the data format information of the 3D model data to be printed is a data format with color attributes, the model material usage determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printer or the printing mode of the 3D model determined by the user is the first printing mode. When the data format information of the 3D model data to be printed is a data format without color attributes, the printing mode of the 3D model determined by the user is either the first printing mode or the second printing mode. In this embodiment, the basis for the user to determine the printing mode of the 3D model as the first printing mode or the second printing mode can be other than the determination basis listed in the above embodiments, and no limitation is made here.

[0069] S103: Based on the model data determined in S101 and the printing mode determined in S102, determine the amount of at least two model materials to be used in printing the 3D model using the 3D inkjet printer. The at least two model materials must have different property information. For example, the at least two model materials may have different colors and / or different mechanical properties.

[0070] In this embodiment of the application, when the 3D inkjet printing device prints a 3D model in different printing modes, in S103, the amount of at least one of the at least two types of model materials determined by the model material amount determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printing device is different.

[0071] In one embodiment, in S103, the model material usage determination device 101 of the 3D inkjet printing equipment determines the usage of at least two types of model materials using different methods according to different printing modes.

[0072] In one embodiment, since the print head needs to undergo periodic automatic inkjet cleaning to maintain the smoothness of inkjet printing during the layer-by-layer printing process of the 3D inkjet printer, and / or the leveling components remove a certain amount of model material from the material layer surface during leveling, after determining the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model in S103, a compensation value can be added to the amount of at least two model materials to further improve the accuracy of the determination of the amount of model materials. For example, the amount of at least two model materials can be multiplied by a compensation coefficient to obtain the compensated amount of at least two model materials, and this can be used for subsequent processing. For example, the compensation coefficient can be a value greater than or equal to 0.3.

[0073] In summary, the method for determining the amount of model material required for a 3D inkjet printer provided in this embodiment can determine the amount of at least two types of model material needed for printing a 3D model based on different printing modes of the 3D inkjet printer. Therefore, it allows for a faster and more efficient determination of the amount of at least two types of model material required for printing a 3D model before printing, enabling users to assess in advance whether the amount of model material stored in the 3D inkjet printer is sufficient and to prepare supplementary materials in advance. This ensures the normal operation of the 3D inkjet printer and improves the user experience. Alternatively, it allows users to pre-select other 3D models requiring less model material for printing, preventing print interruptions that could damage the printed parts, reducing printing costs, increasing the first-pass success rate, and enhancing the user experience. Furthermore, since the method for determining the amount of model materials required for a 3D model can be used to determine the amount of each type of model material needed in advance, it also enables users or suppliers of 3D inkjet printing equipment to provide advance quotes based on the amount of at least two types of model materials required for printing a 3D model.

[0074] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the method for determining the amount of model material used in the 3D inkjet printing equipment provided in this application. Figure 4 The method shown illustrates what happens when the 3D model is printed in the first printing mode. Figure 2 One specific implementation of S103 shown includes:

[0075] S1031: Based on the model data of the 3D model, determine the shell attribute area and the internal filling area of ​​the 3D model.

[0076] For example, Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a 3D model provided in this application. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the shell attribute region and the internal filling region of a 3D model provided in this application. Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a 3D model provided in this application. For example... Figures 5-7 The 3D model 1 shown is a texture model. In this embodiment, the structure of 3D model 1 is cylindrical as an example. It can be understood that the 3D model can be other shapes.

[0077] The data format of 3D model 1 can be OBJ format. Based on the model data of 3D model 1, the outer contour of 3D model 1 can be used as the boundary, and the model can be shrunk inward by a specified distance d to obtain the outer shell attribute region 12 of the texture model 1. Using the outer shell attribute region 12 as a reference, the inner filling region 11 can be further determined. After the outer shell attribute region 12 covers the surface of the inner filling region 11, a 3D model 1 including the outer shell attribute region 12 and the inner filling region 11 can be formed. Combined with... Figure 7 The cross-sectional diagram shown in the AA direction indicates that the specified distance d can be the thickness of the outer shell attribute region 12A, or the thickness of the outer shell attribute region 12. The specified distance d can be any value between 0.5mm and 3mm, specifically 0.5mm, 0.8mm, 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, or 3mm, etc. Alternatively, it can be any value between two adjacent values ​​listed. The color of the inner fill region 11 is white or transparent. The outer shell attribute region 12 is the region characterizing the surface morphology of the 3D model, for example, it can be used to characterize the color, texture, etc. of the 3D model surface.

[0078] After S1031, the amount of at least one model material required for printing the outer shell property region 12 and the inner filling region 11 of the 3D model by the 3D inkjet printing equipment is determined respectively.

[0079] The steps for determining the amount of at least one model material required when printing the shell property region 12 of a 3D model using a 3D inkjet printer include:

[0080] S1032: Determine the volume of the shell property region 12, and determine at least one model material to be used when the 3D inkjet printing equipment prints the shell property region 12.

[0081] S1033: Based on the volume of the shell property region 12 determined in S1032 and at least one model material, determine the amount of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printing device to print the shell property region 12.

[0082] In one embodiment, determining the volume of the shell attribute region 12 in S1032 specifically includes: first determining the surface area of ​​the shell attribute region 12 and the thickness of the shell attribute region 12 printed by the 3D inkjet printing device (i.e., a specified distance d), thereby determining the volume of the shell attribute region 12 based on the surface area and thickness of the shell attribute region.

[0083] For example, Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a 3D model facet provided in this application. The 3D model data is in OBJ format, and the structure of the 3D model is composed of multiple polygonal facets. All the multiple polygonal facets can form a closed surface. The area of ​​each polygonal facet can be the same or different, and the shape of the polygonal facet can be at least one of triangular facets, quadrilateral facets, etc.

[0084] by Figure 8 The polygonal facet in the diagram is a triangular facet. i For example, i represents the number of triangular facets that make up the 3D model. When the 3D model includes n triangular facets, i can be a positive integer from 1 to n. For example, a1 represents the first triangular facet, a2 represents the second triangular facet, ..., a n Let represent the nth triangular facet. Therefore, by calculating all triangular facets 'a'... i area S i By summing these values, we can obtain the surface area S of the outer shell property region 12, which can be expressed by the formula:

[0085] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the projection structure of a triangular facet of a 3D model onto a horizontal plane, as provided in this application, is shown below. Figure 9 A triangular facet a in the 3D model shown i The projection on the horizontal plane is a' i The horizontal plane can be the plane on which the 3D model is placed, corresponding to the support platform of the 3D printing equipment that prints the 3D model. Therefore, by calculating each triangular facet a... i With projection a' i The volume V enclosed between i It can calculate all triangular facets a i The volume V enclosed by the projections of the corresponding triangular facets onto the horizontal plane. i By summing these values, we can obtain the volume V of the entire 3D model. This can be expressed by the formula:

[0086] The volume V of the outer shell property region 12 can be obtained by multiplying the calculated surface area S of the outer shell property region 12 by the thickness d of the outer shell property region 12. 12 This can be expressed by the formula S*d=V12 .

[0087] In one embodiment, determining the amount of at least one model material for the shell property region 12 in S1033 includes: based on the volume V of the shell property region 12. 12 The at least one model material used in the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region 12 is determined to be equal in amount to the volume V of the shell attribute region 12. 12 .

[0088] In one embodiment, the model material used in the preset printing shell attribute area 12 of the 3D inkjet printing device specifically includes at least one model material selected from cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), black (BK), white (W), and transparent (T). Alternatively, the model material used in the preset printing shell attribute area 12 of the 3D inkjet printing device specifically includes at least two model materials with different mechanical properties, wherein the at least two model materials with different mechanical properties are selected from materials with different Shore A hardness and / or model materials with different Shore D hardness. The model material used in the preset printing shell attribute area 12 of the 3D inkjet printing device can be predetermined.

[0089] Subsequently, the volume of each model material was determined as the volume V of the shell property region 12. 12 For example, when the preset shell attribute area 12 of the 3D inkjet printing device includes six model materials: cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), black (BK), white (W), and transparent (T), then the volume of the cyan (C) model material used by the 3D inkjet printing device to print the shell attribute area 12 is determined to be V. 12 The volume of the magenta (M) model material is V. 12 The volume of the yellow (Y) model material is V. 12 The volume of the black (BK) model material is V. 12 The volume of the white (W) model material is V. 12 The volume of the transparent (T) model material is V. 12 .

[0090] II. The steps for determining the amount of at least one model material required when printing the internal infill region 11 of a 3D model using a 3D inkjet printer include:

[0091] S1034: Determine the volume of the internal filling region and determine the droplet distribution information of the individual voxels of the internal filling region 11 printed by the 3D inkjet printer in the first printing mode.

[0092] S1035: Based on the volume of the internal filling region 11 and the ink droplet distribution information, determine the amount of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the internal filling region 11.

[0093] In one embodiment, determining the volume of the internal filling region 11 in S1034 specifically includes: the volume V based on the 3D model, and the volume V of the shell attribute region 12 calculated in S1032. 12 The difference determines the volume V of the internal filling region 11. 11 It can be expressed by the formula V 11 =VV 12 .

[0094] In one embodiment, determining the amount of at least one model material in the internal filling region 11 in S1035 includes: determining, based on droplet distribution information of the 3D inkjet printer printing a single voxel of the internal filling region 11 in a first printing mode, the ratio of the number of droplets of each model material to the total number of droplets of all materials within a single voxel, or the ratio of the volume of each model material to the volume of all model materials within a single voxel. Subsequently, the amount of each model material is determined based on the ratio corresponding to the volume V of the internal filling region 11. 11 The product of the two factors determines the amount of each model material used in at least one model material for printing the internal filling region 11 of the 3D inkjet printer.

[0095] Specifically, in the first printing mode, the ink droplet distribution information for a single voxel in the internal filling region printed by the 3D inkjet printer includes the number of ink droplets in a single voxel and the material properties of the ink droplets, or the total volume of ink droplets with the same material properties in a single voxel. When determining the amount of each model material used in at least one model material for printing the internal filling region 11 by the 3D inkjet printer, the ink droplets used in a single voxel can be small, medium, and / or large. Here, small, medium, and large are relative concepts, all referring to ink droplets ejected by the print head during normal inkjet printing. The volume of a small ink droplet is represented by V0, the volume of a medium ink droplet is twice that of a small ink droplet (2V0), and the volume of a large ink droplet is three times that of a small ink droplet (3V0). Using the small ink droplet as the basic unit, the number of ink droplets in a single voxel is not limited and can be 2, 3, or 4 drops. The material properties of the ink droplets specifically refer to the type of model material to be ejected from the ink droplets in a single voxel, such as white model material droplets and / or transparent model material droplets.

[0096] For example, when printing a single voxel in the internal filling region 11 using a 3D inkjet printer, three small ink droplets need to be ejected, including two white model material droplets and one transparent model material droplet. In this case, the volume of the white model material droplet ejected into the single voxel is 2V0, and the volume of the transparent model material droplet is V0. Therefore, when printing a single voxel in the internal filling region 11 using a 3D inkjet printer, the ratio of the volume of the white model material to the total volume of the model material within the single voxel is determined to be 2 / 3, and the ratio of the volume of the transparent model material to the total volume of the model material within the single voxel is 1 / 3. Finally, based on the ratio of 2 / 3 corresponding to the white model material and the volume V of the internal filling region 11... 11 The product of V and V determines that the amount of white model material used when printing the internal filling area 11 using the 3D inkjet printer is 2 / 3*V. 11 And based on the ratio 1 / 3 corresponding to the transparent model material and the volume V of the internal filling region 11. 11 The product of V and V determines that the amount of transparent model material used when printing the internal filling area 11 using a 3D inkjet printer is 1 / 3 * V. 11 .

[0097] After determining the amount of at least one model material used in printing the outer shell attribute region 12 and the amount of at least one model material used in printing the inner filling region 11 by the 3D inkjet printer in S1032-S1035, in S1036, the sum of the amounts of the same model materials used in printing the outer shell attribute region 12 and printing the inner filling region 11 is determined, and then the amounts of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model can be determined.

[0098] For example, when it is determined that the amount of white model material required for printing the internal filling area 11 by the 3D inkjet printer is 2 / 3*V 11 The amount of transparent model material needed for printing the internal filling area is 1 / 3 * V. 11 The amount of cyan (C) model material required for printing shell attribute area 12 is V. 12 The amount of magenta (M) model material used is V. 12 The amount of material used in the yellow (Y) model is V. 12 The amount of black (BK) model material used is V. 12 The amount of white (W) model material used is V. 12 The amount of material used in the transparent (T) model is V. 12 After adding up the amounts of the same color model material mentioned above, we can obtain the amount of cyan (C) model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model as V. 12 The amount of magenta (M) model material used is V. 12The amount of material used in the yellow (Y) model is V. 12 The amount of black (BK) model material used is V. 12 The amount of white (W) model material used is (2V) 11 +3V 12 The amount of transparent (T) model material used is (V) / 3. 11 +3V 12 ) / 3.

[0099] Figure 10 This is a schematic flowchart of another embodiment of the method for determining the amount of model material used in the 3D inkjet printing equipment provided in this application. Figure 10 The method shown illustrates what happens when the 3D model is printed in the second printing mode. Figure 2 One specific implementation of S103 shown includes:

[0100] S1037: Based on the model data of the 3D model, determine at least one single model attribute region of the 3D model, and the volume of each single model attribute region.

[0101] In one embodiment, the attribute information of the model data is different for each individual model attribute region. For example, Figure 11 This application provides a schematic diagram of a single model attribute region for a 3D model, as shown below. Figure 11 The 3D model 2 shown is a non-textured model. This 3D model 2 includes two single-model attribute regions, denoted as the first model attribute region 21 and the second model attribute region 22. The first model attribute region 21 has a red (R) color attribute, and the second model attribute region 22 has a green (G) color attribute. Therefore, in S1037, based on the model data of the 3D model to be printed, including the model's structural information and attribute information, the 3D model can be divided into the first model attribute region 21 and the second model attribute region 22, each with a single model attribute.

[0102] In one embodiment, the volume V of the red first model attribute region 21 can be obtained by calculating the sum of the volumes enclosed by all the triangular facets constituting the region and their projections onto the horizontal plane, based on the model data of the first model attribute region 21. 21 Based on the model data of the second model attribute region 22, the volume V of the green second model attribute region 22 is obtained by calculating the sum of the volumes enclosed by all the triangular facets constituting the region and the projections of the triangular facets onto the horizontal plane. 22 .

[0103] S1038: Based on the color property file, determine information on at least one primary color model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print each individual model attribute area.

[0104] In one embodiment, the information on at least one primary color model material includes: at least one primary color model material within each single model attribute region, and the maximum volume percentage of each primary color model material within the single model attribute region.

[0105] Specifically, a color profile, such as an ICC profile, is a set of data used to describe the characteristics of color input / output devices or a certain color space, such as converting from the RGB color space to the CMYK color space of the primary color materials. Model attribute information, in this embodiment, refers to the model's color attribute information, which is light color attribute information based on the RGB color space. In this embodiment, the RGB light color attribute information of the model is converted into C, M, Y, K, and other primary color model material information through the color profile. This primary color model material information includes the type of primary color model material and the maximum inkjet volume ratio corresponding to each primary color model material. The primary color model material is the material used to print the 3D object to be printed, and it is also the model material. The color profile can be determined and obtained by the color rendering performance of the printing device itself.

[0106] For example, for Figure 11 The color attribute information of the first model attribute region 21, which is red (R), is converted into M30% and Y80% after color property file conversion. The color attribute information of the second model attribute region 22, which is green (R), is converted into C40% and Y60% after color property file conversion. Here, M30% indicates that M material ink droplets cover 30% of the voxel range in the first model attribute region 21; Y80% indicates that Y material ink droplets cover 80% of the voxel range in the first model attribute region 21; C40% indicates that C material ink droplets cover 40% of the voxel range in the second model attribute region 22; and Y60% indicates that Y material ink droplets cover 60% of the voxel range in the second model attribute region 22. In this embodiment, during the 3D inkjet printing process using a 3D inkjet printing device, each voxel is calculated using basic ink droplets, i.e., small ink droplets, as the unit of calculation, and each voxel includes at least two small ink droplets. Therefore, there exist voxels containing at least two different primary color materials. For example, in the first model attribute region 21, a voxel contains both M material ink droplets and Y material ink droplets; in the second model attribute region 22, a voxel contains both C material ink droplets and Y material ink droplets.

[0107] S1039: Based on the volume of each individual model attribute region, information on at least one primary color model material used in each individual model attribute region, and droplet distribution information of the 3D inkjet printer printing each individual model attribute region in the second printing mode, determine the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print each individual model attribute region.

[0108] In one embodiment, the ink droplet distribution information of a single voxel in each single model attribute region printed by the 3D inkjet printer in the second printing mode includes the total volume of ink droplets in a single voxel, the number of ink droplets in a single voxel, and the type of filling material in a single voxel, or the number of ink droplets in a single voxel, the volume V0 of a single ink droplet, and the type of filling material in a single voxel.

[0109] Specifically, in S1039, determining the amount of at least two model materials used in each individual model attribute region includes: determining the number of voxels and the volume of a single droplet of at least two model materials within each individual model attribute region based on the volume of each individual model attribute region and the droplet distribution information of a single voxel printed by the 3D inkjet printer in the second printing mode. Specifically, the number of voxels in each individual model attribute region is obtained by dividing the volume of each individual model attribute region by the total volume of droplets in a single voxel; this quotient is the number of voxels in the individual model attribute region. Alternatively, the total volume of droplets in a single voxel is obtained based on the number of droplets in a single voxel and the volume of a single droplet within each individual model attribute region, and then the number of voxels in each individual model attribute region is obtained based on the volume of each individual model attribute region and the total volume of droplets in a single voxel. Specifically, the total volume of ink droplets in a single voxel is obtained by multiplying the number of ink droplets in a single voxel within each single model attribute region by the volume of a single ink droplet. Then, the quotient of the volume of each single model attribute region and the total volume of ink droplets in a single voxel is determined; this quotient is the number of voxels in the single model attribute region. For example, in the second printing mode, when the 3D inkjet printer prints a single voxel in each single model attribute region, the volume of a single ink droplet is V0, and the number of ink droplets in a single voxel is 3. Therefore, the total volume of ink droplets in a single voxel is 3V0, and the number of voxels in the first model attribute region 21 is V. 21 / 3V0, the number of voxels in the second model attribute region 22 is V. 22 / 3V0;

[0110] Subsequently, based on the volume of each individual model attribute region, the number of voxels within each individual model attribute region, information on at least one primary color model material, and the volume of a single ink droplet of at least two model materials, the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print each individual model attribute region is determined. The at least two model materials corresponding to each individual model attribute region include a filler material and at least one primary color model material. The filler material can be a transparent material or a white material, etc.

[0111] For example, when the number of voxels in the first model attribute region 21 is V 21 / 3V0, the number of voxels in the second model attribute region 22 is V. 22 / 3V0, if the number of ink droplets in a single voxel is 3, then the total number of ink droplets in the first model attribute region 21 is V. 21 / V0, the total number of ink droplets in the second model attribute region 22 is V. 22 / V0. The required amount of M material in the first model attribute region 21 is 30%*(V 21 / 3V0)*V0=0.1V 21 The amount of material Y used is 80%*(V) 21 / 3V0)*V0=4V 21 / 15, the amount of filler material used is V 21 -0.1V 21 -4V 21 / 15=19V 21 / 30. The required amount of C material in the second model attribute region 22 is 40%*(V 22 / 3V0)*V0=2V 22 / 15, the amount of Y material used is 60%*(V 22 / 3V0)*V0=0.2V 22 The amount of filler material used is V. 22 -2V 22 / 15-0.2V 22 =2V 22 / 3.

[0112] S1040: Based on the sum of the amounts of the same model materials used in at least two model materials for each individual model attribute region determined in S1039, the amounts of the at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model are obtained. For example, the amount of material M used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model is 0.1V. 21 The amount of Y material used is (4V) 21 / 15)+0.2V 22 The amount of material C used is 2V 22 / 15, the amount of filler material used is (19V) 21 / 30)+(2V 22 / 3)=(19V 21 +20V 22 ) / 30.

[0113] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating another embodiment of the method for determining the amount of model material used in a 3D inkjet printing device provided in this application. In this method, when the device for determining the amount of model material used in a 3D inkjet printing device executes... Figure 2 The method shown, after obtaining the amounts of at least two model materials used in printing 3D models with a 3D inkjet printer, also includes:

[0114] S104: Determine whether the 3D inkjet printer can print a 3D model based on the amount of at least two model materials used in printing the 3D model and the remaining storage amount of at least two model materials in the 3D inkjet printer.

[0115] S105: When it is determined through S104 that the 3D inkjet printing equipment can print a 3D model, the 3D inkjet printing equipment is controlled to print the 3D model. In one embodiment, after the model material usage determination device of the 3D inkjet printing equipment determines that the 3D inkjet printing equipment can print a 3D model, the control device of the 3D inkjet printing equipment controls the 3D inkjet printing equipment to print the 3D model.

[0116] S106: When it is determined in S104 that the 3D inkjet printer cannot print a 3D model, the 3D inkjet printer is controlled to issue a prompt instruction, allowing the user or maintenance personnel to replenish model material or control the 3D inkjet printer to print other 3D models, etc., according to the received prompt instruction. In one embodiment, after the model material usage determination device of the 3D inkjet printer determines that the 3D inkjet printer cannot print a 3D model, the control device of the 3D inkjet printer issues a prompt instruction.

[0117] In the foregoing embodiments, the method and steps of the model material usage determination device for 3D inkjet printing equipment provided in this application have been described. To realize the functions of the model material usage determination method provided in the above-mentioned embodiments, the model material usage determination device, as the executing entity, may include hardware structures and / or software modules, implementing the above functions in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules. Whether a particular function is executed in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0118] For example, Figure 13This application provides a schematic diagram of a device for determining the amount of model material used in a 3D inkjet printer, which can be used to execute the method for determining the amount of model material used in any 3D inkjet printer described in this application. Figure 13 The 3D inkjet printing equipment model material usage determination device 1000 shown includes: a model data determination module 1001, a printing mode determination module 1002, and a model material usage determination module 1003. The model data determination module 1001 is used to determine the model data of the 3D model to be printed; the printing mode determination module 1002 is used to determine the printing mode of the 3D model; the printing mode includes one of a first printing mode and a second printing mode; the 3D inkjet printing equipment uses different amounts of at least one model material in the first and second printing modes to print the 3D model; the model material usage determination module 1003 is used to determine the amounts of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printing equipment to print the 3D model based on the model data and printing mode of the 3D model.

[0119] In one embodiment, the printing mode determination module 1002 is specifically used to determine the printing mode of the 3D model based on the model data of the 3D model.

[0120] In one embodiment, the printing mode determination module 1002 is specifically used to receive the printing mode of the 3D model determined by the user based on the model data of the 3D model through the operation interface.

[0121] In one embodiment, the model data includes at least one of the following: data format information, model structure information, model color information, and model mechanical performance information.

[0122] In one embodiment, when the data format information in the model data is a data format with color attributes, the printing mode of the 3D model is a first printing mode; when the data format information in the model data is a data format without color attributes, the printing mode of the 3D model is a second printing mode; or, when the data format information in the model data is a data format with color attributes, the printing mode of the 3D model is a first printing mode; when the data format information in the model data is a data format without color attributes and the number of polygonal faces per unit area in the model's structural information is greater than a specified threshold, the printing mode of the 3D model is a first printing mode; when the number of polygonal faces per unit area in the model's structural information in the model data is less than or equal to a specified threshold, the printing mode of the 3D model is a second printing mode.

[0123] In one embodiment, when the printing mode of the 3D model is a first printing mode, the model material usage determination module 1003 is specifically used to determine the shell attribute region and the internal filling region of the 3D model based on the model data of the 3D model; determine the volume of the shell attribute region and at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region; determine the usage of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region based on the volume of the shell attribute region and at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region; determine the volume of the internal filling region and the ink droplet distribution information of a single voxel in the internal filling region printed by the 3D inkjet printer in the first printing mode; determine the usage of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the internal filling region based on the volume of the internal filling region and the ink droplet distribution information of a single voxel in the internal filling region printed by the 3D inkjet printer in the first printing mode; and determine the usage of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model based on the usage of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region and the usage of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the internal filling region.

[0124] In one embodiment, the model material usage determination module 1003 is specifically used to determine the surface area of ​​the shell attribute region based on the model data of the 3D model; determine the thickness of the shell attribute region printed by the 3D inkjet printing device; and determine the volume of the shell attribute region based on the surface area and thickness of the shell attribute region.

[0125] In one embodiment, the model material usage determination module 1003 is specifically used to determine the volume of the 3D model based on the model data of the 3D model; and to determine the volume of the internal filling area based on the volume of the 3D model and the volume of the shell attribute area.

[0126] In one embodiment, the model material usage determination module 1003 is specifically used to determine, based on the volume of the shell attribute region and the at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region, that the usage of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region is equal to the volume of the shell attribute region.

[0127] In one embodiment, the model material usage determination module 1003 is specifically used to determine, based on the droplet distribution information of a single voxel in the internal filling region printed by the 3D inkjet printer in the first printing mode, the ratio of the number of droplets of each model material to the total number of droplets of all materials in a single voxel, or the ratio of the volume of each model material to the volume of all model materials in a single voxel; and to determine the usage of each model material in at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the internal filling region based on the product of the ratio corresponding to each model material and the volume of the internal filling region.

[0128] In one embodiment, when the printing mode of the 3D model is the second printing mode, the model material usage determination module 1003 is specifically used to determine at least one single model attribute region of the 3D model and the volume of each single model attribute region based on the model data of the 3D model; determine information on at least one primary color model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print each single model attribute region based on the color characteristic file; determine the usage of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print each single model attribute region based on the volume of each single model attribute region, the information on at least one primary color model material used by each single model attribute region, and the ink droplet distribution information of a single voxel in the second printing mode; and determine the usage of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model based on the usage of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print each single model attribute region.

[0129] In one embodiment, at least one primary color model material information includes: at least one primary color model material in each single model attribute region, and the maximum volume percentage of each primary color model material in the single model attribute region; in the second printing mode, the ink droplet distribution information of the 3D inkjet printer printing a single voxel in each single model attribute region includes the total volume of ink droplets in a single voxel, the number of ink droplets in a single voxel, and the type of filling material in a single voxel, or the number of ink droplets in a single voxel, the volume of a single ink droplet, and the type of filling material in a single voxel;

[0130] In one embodiment, the model material usage determination module 1003 is specifically used to determine the number of voxels in each single model attribute region and the volume of a single droplet of at least two model materials based on the volume of each single model attribute region and the ink droplet distribution information of a single voxel printed by the 3D inkjet printer in the second printing mode; and to determine the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print each single model attribute region based on the volume of each single model attribute region, the number of voxels in each single model attribute region, the information of at least one primary color model material, and the volume of a single droplet of at least two model materials.

[0131] In one embodiment, such as Figure 13 The 3D inkjet printing equipment model material usage determination device 1000 also includes a judgment module, used to determine whether the 3D inkjet printing equipment can print a 3D model based on the usage of at least two types of model materials used by the 3D inkjet printing equipment to print the 3D model and the remaining storage amount of at least two types of model materials in the 3D inkjet printing equipment; when it is determined that the 3D inkjet printing equipment can print the 3D model, the 3D inkjet printing equipment is controlled to print the 3D model; when it is determined that the 3D inkjet printing equipment cannot print the 3D model, the 3D inkjet printing equipment is controlled to issue a prompt command.

[0132] The implementation method and principle of the 3D inkjet printing equipment model material usage determination device provided in this application embodiment can refer to the description in the aforementioned 3D inkjet printing equipment model material usage determination method, and will not be repeated here.

[0133] It should be noted that the division of the various modules in the above device is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. These modules can be implemented entirely in software via processing element calls; they can be fully implemented in hardware; or some modules can be implemented by processing element calls to software, while others are implemented in hardware. They can be separate processing elements, integrated into a chip within the device, or stored as program code in the device's memory, invoked and executed by a processing element. The implementation of other modules is similar. Furthermore, these modules can be fully or partially integrated together, or implemented independently. The processing element described here can be an integrated circuit with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each step of the above method or each of the above modules can be completed through integrated logic circuits in the hardware of the processor element or through software instructions.

[0134] For example, these modules can be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). As another example, when a module is implemented by a processing element calling program code, that processing element can be a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or other processor capable of calling program code. Furthermore, these modules can be integrated together to implement a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0135] In the above embodiments, the steps performed by the model material usage determination device can be implemented entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0136] This application also provides an electronic device, including a processor and a memory. The processor and the memory are communicatively connected. The memory stores a computer program. When the processor executes the computer program, it can perform the steps of the method executed by the model material usage determination device of any of the foregoing embodiments of this application.

[0137] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed, can be used to perform the steps of a method performed by a model material usage determination device of a 3D inkjet printing device as described in any of the foregoing embodiments of this application.

[0138] This application also provides a chip for executing instructions, the chip being used to perform the steps of any of the methods performed by the model material usage determination device of a 3D inkjet printing device as described above.

[0139] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program stored in a storage medium. At least one processor can read the computer program from the storage medium. When the at least one processor executes the computer program, it can implement the steps of any of the methods performed by the model material usage determination device of the 3D inkjet printing equipment described above.

[0140] In one embodiment, the model material usage determination device and / or control device provided in this application embodiment may be any one of the following: a pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller, a central processing unit (CPU), other general-purpose processors, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate and transistor logic devices, etc.

[0141] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above embodiments can be implemented by hardware related to program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it performs the steps of the above method embodiments; and the aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as ROM, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0142] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the purpose of illustrating the technical solution of this application, the embodiments of this application are described separately by functional modules, and the circuit devices in each module may partially or completely overlap, which is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0143] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A method for determining the amount of model material used in a 3D inkjet printing device, characterized in that, include: Determine the model data of the 3D model to be printed; Determine the printing mode of the 3D model; The printing mode includes one of a first printing mode and a second printing mode; the amount of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printing device to print the 3D model is different in the first printing mode and the second printing mode. Based on the model data of the 3D model and the printing mode, determine the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printing equipment to print the 3D model; When the printing mode of the 3D model is the first printing mode, determining the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printing device to print the 3D model based on the model data of the 3D model and the printing mode includes: The shell attribute region and the internal filling region of the 3D model are determined based on the model data of the 3D model; wherein the shell attribute region covers the surface of the internal filling region; Determine the volume of the shell property region and at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printing equipment to print the shell property region; Based on the volume of the shell property region and the at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell property region, determine the amount of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell property region. Determine the volume of the internal filling region and the ink droplet distribution information for printing a single voxel of the internal filling region by the 3D inkjet printer in the first printing mode; Based on the volume of the internal filling region and the ink droplet distribution information of a single voxel of the internal filling region printed by the 3D inkjet printing device in the first printing mode, the amount of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printing device to print the internal filling region is determined. Based on the amount of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the outer shell property area and the amount of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the internal filling area, the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model is determined. When the printing mode of the 3D model is the second printing mode, determining the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printing equipment to print the 3D model based on the model data of the 3D model and the printing mode includes: Based on the model data of the 3D model, determine at least one single model attribute region of the 3D model and the volume of each single model attribute region; Based on the color property file, information on at least one primary color model material used by the 3D inkjet printing device to print each individual model attribute area is determined. Based on the volume of each individual model attribute region, information on at least one primary color model material used in each individual model attribute region, and droplet distribution information of a single voxel printed by the 3D inkjet printer in the second printing mode, the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print each individual model attribute region is determined. The amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model is determined based on the amount of at least two model materials used to print each single model attribute area.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the printing mode of the 3D model includes: Based on the model data of the 3D model, determine the printing mode of the 3D model.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the printing mode of the 3D model includes: The system receives the printing mode of the 3D model determined by the user based on the model data of the 3D model through the user interface.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The model data includes at least one of the following: data format information, model structure information, model color information, and model mechanical performance information.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the data format information in the model data is a data format with color attributes, the printing mode of the 3D model is the first printing mode; when the data format information in the model data is a data format without color attributes, the printing mode of the 3D model is the second printing mode. Alternatively, when the data format information in the model data is a data format with color attributes, the printing mode of the 3D model is the first printing mode; When the data format information in the model data is a data format without color attributes and the number of polygonal patches per unit area in the structural information of the model is greater than a specified threshold, the printing mode of the 3D model is the first printing mode; When the number of polygonal faces per unit area in the structural information of the model in the model data is less than or equal to the specified threshold, the printing mode of the 3D model is the second printing mode.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the volume of the shell property region includes: The surface area of ​​the shell attribute region is determined based on the model data of the 3D model; Determine the thickness of the shell property area printed by the 3D inkjet printing equipment; The volume of the shell attribute region is determined based on the surface area and thickness of the shell attribute region; And / or, determining the volume of the internal filling region includes: The volume of the 3D model is determined based on the model data of the 3D model; The volume of the internal filling region is determined based on the volume of the 3D model and the volume of the shell attribute region.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that, The step of determining the amount of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region based on the volume of the shell attribute region and the at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region includes: Based on the volume of the shell attribute region and the at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region, it is determined that the amount of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the shell attribute region is equal to the volume of the shell attribute region.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that, The step of determining the amount of at least one model material used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the internal filling region based on the volume of the internal filling region and the ink droplet distribution information of a single voxel of the internal filling region printed by the 3D inkjet printer in the first printing mode includes: Based on the ink droplet distribution information of a single voxel in the internal filling region printed by the 3D inkjet printing device in the first printing mode, determine the ratio of the number of ink droplets of each model material to the total number of ink droplets of all materials in a single voxel when the 3D inkjet printing device prints a single voxel in the internal filling region, or the ratio of the volume of each model material to the volume of all model materials in a single voxel. The amount of each model material used in the 3D inkjet printing equipment for printing the internal filling area is determined by multiplying the ratio of each model material with the volume of the internal filling area.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The information on at least one primary color model material includes: at least one primary color model material in each single model attribute region, and the maximum volume percentage of each primary color model material in the single model attribute region; In the second printing mode, the ink droplet distribution information of the 3D inkjet printing device for printing each voxel of a single model attribute region includes the total volume of ink droplets in a single voxel, the number of ink droplets in a single voxel, and the type of filling material in a single voxel, or the number of ink droplets in a single voxel, the volume of a single ink droplet, and the type of filling material in a single voxel. The at least two model materials include a filler material and at least one primary color model material.

10. The method according to claim 1 or 9, characterized in that, The determination of the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print each single model attribute region is based on the volume of each single model attribute region, the information of at least one primary color model material used in each single model attribute region, and the ink droplet distribution information of a single voxel printed by the 3D inkjet printer in the second printing mode. This includes: Based on the volume of each single model attribute region and the ink droplet distribution information of the individual voxels printed by the 3D inkjet printing device in the second printing mode, the number of voxels in each single model attribute region and the volume of individual ink droplets of at least two model materials are determined. Based on the volume of each individual model attribute region, the number of voxels in each individual model attribute region, information on at least one primary color model material, and the volume of a single ink droplet of at least two model materials, the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print each individual model attribute region is determined.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After determining the amount of at least two model materials used by the 3D inkjet printer to print the 3D model based on the model data of the 3D model and the printing mode, the method further includes: Based on the amount of at least two model materials used in printing the 3D model by the 3D inkjet printing equipment and the remaining storage amount of the at least two model materials in the 3D inkjet printing equipment, it is determined whether the 3D inkjet printing equipment can print the 3D model. Once it is determined that the 3D inkjet printing equipment can print the 3D model, control the 3D inkjet printing equipment to print the 3D model; When it is determined that the 3D inkjet printing device cannot print the 3D model, the device is controlled to issue a prompt command.

12. A 3D inkjet printing device, characterized in that, The method includes a model material usage determination device, which is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-11.

13. A device for determining the amount of model material used in a 3D inkjet printing equipment, characterized in that, Used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-11.

Images