A 3D printing device and method capable of spatially continuously arranging fiber reinforced materials

Abstract

The application provides a 3D printing device and method capable of arranging fiber reinforced materials in space continuously, comprising a gantry module structure and a rotatable nozzle structure arranged at the end of the gantry module structure; the rotatable nozzle structure comprises a printing head outer sleeve, a printing head inner sleeve and a printing head main body arranged coaxially; the printing head inner sleeve is provided with the printing head main body at the bottom, the outer wall is sleeved with the printing head outer sleeve, and the outer wall of the printing head main body is fixedly connected with the inner wall of the bottom of the printing head outer sleeve; the upper outer wall of the printing head outer sleeve is connected with a driving device through a gear; the printing head main body is fixedly provided with a nozzle inside; during the printing process, the nozzle is reset through multiple small-angle adjustments and the linkage of the horizontal and vertical axes of the gantry module structure, so that the fiber material, the nozzle and the printing path are on the same straight line, the deviation and breakage of the fiber material are prevented, and the precision and stability of the 3D printing are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of preparation and processing technology of biodegradable fiber-reinforced composite biological scaffolds, specifically relating to a 3D printing device and method for continuously arranging fiber-reinforced materials in space. Background Technology

[0002] Biodegradable biomaterials possess excellent biocompatibility and are non-toxic, making them ideal materials for bone grafting. Examples include calcium phosphate (also known as bone cement) and HA (hydroxyapatite). However, the inherent brittleness of biomaterials makes them prone to brittle fracture, significantly limiting their suitability as bone substitutes. Biodegradable continuous fibrous materials offer good mechanical properties and are non-toxic. Examples include PGA (polyglycolic acid) fibers, PLA (polylactic acid) fibers, and collagen fibers. For instance, PGA is a highly crystalline, biodegradable aliphatic polymer with excellent biocompatibility, processability, and mechanical properties. It achieves biodegradation through simple hydrolysis and subsequent reabsorption, primarily used in surgical sutures and other fields. It can also serve as a reinforcing fiber to improve the mechanical properties of biological scaffolds, and complete degradation eliminates the need for secondary surgery.

[0003] However, in existing technologies, right-angle turns on the horizontal plane are usually made directly through a gantry module structure. At this time, due to the toughness of the continuous fiber material, it will generate a lot of friction with the nozzle, causing the fiber material to stop being discharged, or the fiber material to be distributed on one side of the wrapping material, resulting in defects in the 3D printed product. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a 3D printing device and method for continuously arranging fiber-reinforced materials in space, which can improve the accuracy and stability of 3D printing.

[0005] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] A 3D printing device for continuously arranging fiber-reinforced materials in space includes a gantry module structure and a rotatable nozzle structure disposed at the end of the gantry module structure.

[0007] The rotatable nozzle structure includes a printhead outer sleeve, a printhead inner sleeve, and a printhead body arranged coaxially. The printhead body is located at the bottom of the printhead inner sleeve, and the printhead outer sleeve is fitted on its outer wall. The outer wall of the printhead body is fixedly connected to the bottom inner wall of the printhead outer sleeve. A drive device is connected to the gear on the upper outer wall of the printhead outer sleeve. A nozzle is fixedly installed inside the printhead body.

[0008] Furthermore, a first feeding section is fixedly provided inside the inner sleeve of the print head, and a second feeding section is fixedly provided inside the main body of the print head. One end of the second feeding section is screwed to the bottom of the first feeding section, and the other end is fixedly connected to the nozzle.

[0009] Furthermore, a positioning transmission plate is fixedly connected to the top of the first feeding section, a stepper motor is provided on the positioning transmission plate, and a splined annular belt is provided on the upper outer wall of the print head sleeve, with the output end of the stepper motor meshing with the splined annular belt.

[0010] Furthermore, the inner wall of the printhead outer sleeve is provided with a limiting groove, and the outer wall of the printhead inner sleeve is provided with a first sealing ring, which is engaged in the limiting groove; the printhead inner sleeve is fitted with a bearing, the outer wall of the bearing abuts against and is engaged with the inner wall of the printhead outer sleeve, and the inner wall abuts against and is engaged with the outer wall of the printhead inner sleeve.

[0011] Furthermore, a second sealing ring is provided at the bottom of the inner sleeve of the printhead, and is sealed to the main body of the printhead.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes a shearing structure, which includes a U-shaped shearing support frame and a shearing motor fixed inside the shearing support frame, with a shearing blade connected to the output end of the shearing motor;

[0013] The shearing support frame is fixed to the bottom of the outer wall of the printhead body, and the shearing blade is located on the nozzle output end side.

[0014] Furthermore, the shearing blade includes a first blade and a second blade, the fixed end of the second blade is rotatably disposed through the shearing support frame via a clamping retaining ring, and the first blade and the second blade are connected by gear meshing.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes a wire-threading structure fixed to the top of the gantry module frame. The wire-threading structure includes a side plate and a bottom plate connected at right angles. The side plate is fixed to the top of the gantry module frame. The bottom plate is inclined on the horizontal plane and is provided with a slide rail and a slider slidably disposed on the slide rail. The slider is connected to one end of a crank-connecting rod structure, and the other end of the crank-connecting rod structure is fixed to the side plate.

[0016] The slider is provided with a wire guide bar near the wire inlet end of the nozzle, and the wire guide bar, slide rail and nozzle are arranged in parallel.

[0017] Furthermore, the crank-connecting rod structure includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, and a third connecting rod connected end to end by pins. The first connecting rod is connected to the slider, and the third connecting rod is connected to the side plate by pins.

[0018] A 3D printing method for spatially continuously arranged fiber-reinforced materials includes the following steps:

[0019] The gantry module structure drives the rotatable nozzle structure to print according to the preset printing path. If a corner appears, the number of rotations of the stepper motor is obtained according to the ratio of the corner size to the stepper motor's step angle. For each rotation of one step angle, the horizontal and vertical axes of the gantry module structure control the nozzle to move one vector towards the corner point until the stepper motor completes the number of rotations of the stepper motor, thus completing the nozzle adjustment.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0021] This invention provides a 3D printing device and method for continuously arranging fiber-reinforced materials in space, including a gantry module structure and a rotatable nozzle structure disposed at the end of the gantry module structure; the rotatable nozzle structure includes a print head outer sleeve, a print head inner sleeve, and a print head body arranged coaxially, the print head body is disposed at the bottom of the print head inner sleeve, the print head outer sleeve is disposed on the outer wall, and the outer wall of the print head body is fixedly connected to the bottom inner wall of the print head outer sleeve; a drive device is connected to the upper outer wall of the print head outer sleeve by a gear; a nozzle is fixedly disposed inside the print head body; during the printing process, the gantry module structure drives the rotatable nozzle. The structure is printed according to the preset printing path. If a corner appears, the number of rotations of the stepper motor is obtained based on the ratio of the corner size to the stepper motor's step angle. For each rotation of one step angle, the horizontal and vertical axes of the gantry module structure are linked to control the nozzle to move one vector towards the corner point until the stepper motor completes the number of rotations, thus completing the nozzle adjustment. This application, through multiple small-amplitude angle adjustments and the linkage of the horizontal and vertical axes of the gantry module structure to reset the nozzle, can ensure that the fiber material, nozzle, and printing path are on the same straight line, preventing the fiber material from deviating or breaking, and improving the accuracy and stability of 3D printing.

[0022] Furthermore, the shearing structure includes a U-shaped shearing support frame and a shearing motor fixed inside the shearing support frame. The output end of the shearing motor is connected to a shearing blade. The shearing support frame is fixed to the bottom of the outer wall of the print head body, and the shearing blade is located on the nozzle output end side. The structure is simple and easy to operate. After printing is completed, the material can be directly cut off and discharged.

[0023] Furthermore, the fiber threading structure includes a side plate and a bottom plate connected at right angles. The side plate is fixed to the top of the gantry module frame, and the bottom plate is inclined on the horizontal plane. A slide rail and a slider slidably mounted on the slide rail are provided on the bottom plate. One end of the slider is connected to a crank-connecting rod structure, and the other end of the crank-connecting rod structure is fixed to the side plate. A guide rod is provided near the fiber inlet end of the nozzle on the slider, and the guide rod, slide rail, and nozzle are arranged in parallel. When the fiber material is exhausted, the nozzle is moved to a preset position through the gantry module structure, which can help to pass the fiber filaments into the nozzle end and improve the efficiency of replenishing fiber material. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the rotatable nozzle structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a 3D printing device for spatially continuously arranged fiber-reinforced materials according to the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a 3D printing device for spatially continuously arranged fiber-reinforced materials according to the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning transmission plate and rotatable nozzle structure of the gantry module of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the shearing structure of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the wire-threading structure of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the nozzle movement of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the XY axis movement vector of the gantry module structure of the present invention.

[0032] In the diagram: 1. Printhead body; 2. Printhead outer sleeve; 3. Splined ring belt; 4. Printhead inner sleeve; 5. First feeding section; 6. Second feeding section; 7. Positioning transmission plate; 8. Stepper motor; 9. First sealing ring; 10. Bearing; 11. Second sealing ring; 14. Nozzle; 15. Guide rod; 16. Side plate; 17. Base plate; 18. Slide rail; 19. Slider; 20. First connecting rod; 21. Second connecting rod; 23. Third connecting rod; 24. Pin; 26. Support frame; 28. Clamping retaining ring; 29. ​​Shearing blade; 30. Shearing motor; 290. First blade; 291. Second blade. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. These descriptions are for explanation purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0034] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented 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.

[0036] This invention provides a 3D printing device for continuously arranging fiber-reinforced materials in space, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, it includes a gantry module structure and a rotatable nozzle structure disposed at the end of the gantry module structure;

[0037] The rotatable nozzle structure includes a printhead outer sleeve 2, a printhead inner sleeve 4, and a printhead body 1 arranged coaxially. The printhead body 1 is located at the bottom of the printhead inner sleeve 4, and the printhead outer sleeve 2 is fitted on its outer wall. The outer wall of the printhead body 1 is fixedly connected to the bottom inner wall of the printhead outer sleeve 2. A drive device is connected to the gear on the upper outer wall of the printhead outer sleeve 2. A nozzle 14 is fixedly installed inside the printhead body 1.

[0038] Specifically, the gantry module structure is a working platform that can drive the positioning transmission plate 7 to move along the X, Y, and Z axes. This application will not elaborate further on this point.

[0039] Preferred, such as Figure 3 As shown, a first feeding section 5 is fixedly installed inside the inner sleeve 4 of the printhead, and a second feeding section 6 is fixedly installed inside the main body 1 of the printhead. One end of the second feeding section 6 is screwed to the bottom of the first feeding section 5, and the other end is fixedly connected to the nozzle 14. Furthermore, a positioning transmission plate 7 is fixedly installed on the top of the first feeding section 5, and a stepper motor 8 is installed on the positioning transmission plate 7. A splined annular belt 3 is installed on the upper outer wall of the outer sleeve 2 of the printhead. The output end of the stepper motor 8 meshes with the splined annular belt 3. Specifically, the output end of the stepper motor 8 is provided with a gear that meshes with the splined annular belt 3.

[0040] Preferably, the inner wall of the printhead outer sleeve 2 is provided with a limiting groove, and the outer wall of the printhead inner sleeve 4 is provided with a first sealing ring 9, which is engaged in the limiting groove; the printhead inner sleeve 4 is fitted with a bearing 10, the outer wall of the bearing 10 abuts against and is engaged with the inner wall of the printhead outer sleeve 2, and the inner wall abuts against and is engaged with the outer wall of the printhead inner sleeve 4; the inner wall of the printhead outer sleeve 2 is a hollow structure, and its top is provided with an annular protrusion for abutting against the outer wall of the bearing 10; the outer wall of the printhead inner sleeve 4 is provided with an annular support platform for abutting against the inner wall of the bearing 10.

[0041] Preferably, the bottom of the printhead inner sleeve 4 is provided with a second sealing ring 11, which is sealed to the printhead body 1. It should be noted that the bottom of the printhead inner sleeve 4 and the top of the printhead body 1 are seamlessly connected. At the same time, the second sealing ring 11 is provided on the bottom of the printhead inner sleeve 4 on the side of the contact surface between the bottom of the printhead inner sleeve 4 and the top of the printhead body 1, to prevent the packaging material from overflowing when passing between the first feeding section 5 and the second feeding section 6.

[0042] Preferred, such as Figure 5 As shown, this application also includes a shearing structure, which includes a U-shaped shearing support frame 26 and a shearing motor 30 fixed inside the shearing support frame 26. The output end of the shearing motor 30 is connected to a shearing blade 29. The shearing support frame 26 is fixed to the bottom of the outer wall of the print head body 1, and the shearing blade 29 is disposed on the output end side of the nozzle 14. Further, the shearing blade 29 includes a first blade 290 and a second blade 291. The fixed end of the second blade 291 is rotatably disposed through the shearing support frame 26 by a clamping retaining ring 28. The first blade 290 and the second blade 291 are connected by gear meshing. The shearing structure uses a shearing motor 30 to realize the shearing function, which occupies a small volume, has a simple structure, and is easy to operate. After printing is completed, the material can be directly cut off and discharged.

[0043] Preferred, such as Figure 6As shown, this application also includes a wire threading structure fixed to the top of the gantry module frame. The wire threading structure includes a side plate 16 and a bottom plate 17 connected at right angles. The side plate 16 is fixed to the top of the gantry module frame. The bottom plate 17 is inclined to the horizontal plane and has a slide rail 18 and a slider 19 slidably disposed on the slide rail 18. The slider 19 is connected to one end of a crank-connecting rod structure, and the other end of the crank-connecting rod structure is fixed to the side plate 16. A guide rod 15 is disposed near the wire inlet end of the nozzle 14 on the slider 19, and the guide rod 15, the slide rail 18, and the nozzle 14 are arranged in parallel. Further, the crank-connecting rod... The structure includes a first connecting rod 20, a second connecting rod 21, and a third connecting rod 23 connected end to end by pins 24. The first connecting rod 20 is connected to the slider 19, and the third connecting rod 23 is connected to the side plate 16 by pins 24. Those skilled in the art can preset the reset position of the nozzle 14. It should be noted that the reset position of the nozzle 14 should be close to and the guide rod 15 should be able to directly feed the fiber material into the tail of the nozzle 14. When the fiber material is exhausted, the nozzle 14 is moved to the preset position through the gantry module structure, which can help to transmit the fiber filament to the end of the nozzle 14 and improve the efficiency of replenishing fiber material.

[0044] This invention provides a 3D printing method for spatially continuously arranged fiber-reinforced materials, comprising the following steps:

[0045] The gantry module structure drives the rotatable nozzle structure to print according to the preset printing path. If a corner appears, the number of rotations of the stepper motor 8 is obtained according to the ratio of the size of the corner to the step angle of the stepper motor 8. For each rotation of one step angle, the horizontal and vertical axes of the gantry module structure control the nozzle 14 to move one vector towards the corner point until the stepper motor 8 completes the number of rotations of the step angle, thus completing the adjustment of the nozzle 14.

[0046] Specifically, such as Figure 7 As shown, suppose we need to print a right-angled side, meaning the printing path is from A to B and then to C; the process from A to B is as follows: Figure 7 In states ① and ②, the movement is controlled by the Y-axis slide rail of the gantry module structure, allowing for linear motion in the Y direction. Specifically, when the module reaches point B, the stepper motor 8 drives the nozzle 14 to rotate around the Z-axis by one step angle. Figure 7 As shown in state ③, nozzle 14 will disengage from point B at this time, thus requiring reset. This is achieved by controlling the nozzle 14 to move back to point B via the XY axis slide rail linkage. Figure 3 As shown in state ④; assuming a step angle of 1.8° is selected for a certain stepper motor, and the print head needs to rotate 90° to pass point B, the above steps need to be repeated 50 times to make nozzle 14 rotate smoothly. Figure 7As shown in state ⑨; then, from B to C, controlled by the X-axis slide rail, linear movement in the X direction will achieve the final printing state as shown. Figure 7 As shown in state ⑩.

[0047] Specifically, such as Figure 8 As shown, the center of rotation of the nozzle 14 driven by the stepper motor 8 is point O. In order to achieve continuous printing, it needs to rotate around point B. Therefore, in order to achieve the characteristic of nozzle rotation, the extrusion device adopts the following XY slide rail and nozzle linkage principle: When the nozzle moves from point A to point B, the nozzle projection is a. The nozzle needs to rotate around point B by a certain angle, but the center of nozzle rotation is point O. At this time, the nozzle first rotates around point O by a stepper motor step angle. At this time, the nozzle projection is b1. The vector c is obtained by the size of the nozzle and the rotation angle. The vector c is the distance and direction of the XY axis movement of the gantry module structure at this time. The nozzle moves by a vector c to position b2.

[0048] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention 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; and these 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 the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of 3D printing of a spatially continuously arranged fiber reinforced material, characterized in that, Based on a kind of 3D printing device of spatially continuous arrangement fiber reinforced material, the 3D printing device includes gantry module structure and rotatable nozzle structure arranged at the end of gantry module structure; Rotatable nozzle structure includes coaxially arranged printing head outer sleeve (2), printing head inner sleeve (4) and printing head body (1), printing head inner sleeve (4) bottom is provided with printing head body (1), outer wall is provided with printing head outer sleeve (2), and the outer wall of printing head body (1) is fixedly connected with the inner wall of printing head outer sleeve (2) bottom, gear is connected with driving device on the upper outer wall of printing head outer sleeve (2); First feeding section (5) is fixedly arranged in printing head inner sleeve (4), second feeding section (6) is fixedly arranged in printing head body (1), one end of second feeding section (6) is screwed with the bottom of first feeding section (5), and the other end is fixedly connected with nozzle (14); Limiting groove is provided on the inner wall of printing head outer sleeve (2), first sealing ring (9) is provided on the outer wall of printing head inner sleeve (4) with interference, and first sealing ring (9) is clamped in limiting groove;Bearing (10) is sleeved with printing head inner sleeve (4), the outer wall of bearing (10) is abutted and clamped in the inner wall of printing head outer sleeve (2), and the inner wall is abutted and clamped in the outer wall of printing head inner sleeve (4);Second sealing ring (11) is provided on the bottom of printing head inner sleeve (4) and is sealingly connected with printing head body (1); It also includes wire passing structure fixedly arranged on the top of gantry module frame, and the wire passing structure includes straightly connected side plate (16) and bottom plate (17), side plate (16) is fixedly connected on the top of gantry module frame, bottom plate (17) is inclinedly arranged on horizontal plane, and sliding rail (18) and sliding block (19) slidingly arranged on sliding rail (18) are arranged on the bottom plate (17), one end of sliding block (19) is connected with crank connecting rod structure, and the other end of crank connecting rod structure is fixedly connected with side plate (16);Sliding block (19) is provided with guide rod (15) close to the wire inlet end of nozzle (14), and guide rod (15), sliding rail (18) and nozzle (14) are parallelly arranged; Crank connecting rod structure includes first connecting rod (20), second connecting rod (21) and third connecting rod (23) connected in sequence through pin (24), first connecting rod (20) is connected with sliding block (19), and third connecting rod (23) is connected with side plate (16) through pin (24); Positioning transmission plate (7) is fixedly connected on the top of first feeding section (5), stepping motor (8) is arranged on positioning transmission plate (7), and spline ring belt (3) is arranged on the upper outer wall of printing head outer sleeve (2), the output end of stepping motor (8) is engaged with spline ring belt (3). Also include a shearing structure, the shearing structure includes a shearing support frame (26) in a U-shaped structure and a shearing motor (30) fixed in the shearing support frame (26), the shearing motor (30) output end is connected with a shearing blade (29); The shearing support frame (26) is fixed to the outer wall bottom of the print head main body (1), and the shearing blade (29) is arranged on the output end side of the nozzle (14); The shearing blade (29) includes a first blade (290) and a second blade (291), the fixed end of the second blade (291) is arranged through the shearing support frame (26) through a clamping retainer (28), and the first blade (290) and the second blade (291) are connected through gear meshing before the first blade (290) and the second blade (291); The 3D printing method comprises the following steps: The gantry module structure drives the rotatable nozzle structure to print according to the preset printing path. If a corner appears, the number of rotation step angles of the stepping motor (8) is obtained according to the size of the corner and the ratio of the step angle of the stepping motor (8). The horizontal and vertical axes of the gantry module structure control the nozzle (14) to move a vector to the corner point every time a step angle is rotated, until the stepping motor (8) completes the number of rotation step angles, and the adjustment of the nozzle (14) is completed.

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