Photocurable 3D printing release device and method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of photo-curing 3D printing release devices and methods, first by import to the first chamber into lubricant, and make the lubricant can flow after flowing through the first chamber from outlet, simultaneously make the lubricant in the first chamber can be penetrated into the permeation membrane and form a layer of isolation layer on the upper surface of permeation membrane, after forming isolation layer, then inject photo-curing 3D printing forming material into the second chamber, then make external light source can be sequentially penetrated by from bottom to top through light-transmitting bottom wall, lubricant in the first chamber and permeation membrane, to make photo-curing 3D printing forming material in the second chamber photo-curing forming, and then make the forming product and permeation membrane have good release effect, simultaneously also make the application need not to be separately set release film when using, avoid the product forming quality to be affected due to the technical defects of poor release effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of 3D printing technology, and in particular to a release device and method for photopolymerization 3D printing. Background Technology

[0002] Digital photopolymerization 3D printing technology is a mask-based photopolymerization technology. The principle is to convert the printed model into layers of mask images through a high-resolution optical conversion device, which causes photopolymerizable liquid to selectively solidify layer by layer to achieve complex structure forming, and can realize the manufacturing of micron-level structures.

[0003] Depending on the direction of movement of the forming platform during the forming process, digital photopolymerization 3D printing technology can be divided into top-down and bottom-up modes. The bottom-up printing mode is currently a very popular printing mode due to its better z-axis accuracy and less material consumption.

[0004] A key technical challenge in bottom-up printing is reducing the adhesion between the molded structure and the release film to achieve rapid separation of the two, enabling fast or continuous printing. The main method for reducing adhesion is to transform the solid-solid bond between the molded structure and the release film into a solid-liquid bond. Currently, in digital photopolymerization 3D printing technology, there are three main methods for achieving solid-liquid bonding: The first is the oxygen-inhibiting film method, which allows oxygen permeability to the release film and utilizes the principle of oxygen inhibition to construct an uncured liquid "dead zone" layer between the molding material and the release film. This curing method has high requirements for the depth of light penetration and is not conducive to molding materials with shallow curing depth, resulting in poor molding quality. The second is the self-lubricating film method, which achieves low-adhesion separation between the molded structure and the molded film by constructing a self-lubricating film that can release fluorinated oil or silicone oil. However, the lubricant inside the release film is easily consumed, which reduces the release performance of the release film and makes the molded film prone to deformation. The third is the oil film method, which uses fluorinated oil or silicone oil to construct a relatively thick oil film. The photopolymerized liquid is directly above the oil film. Due to the force exerted on the oil film during the lifting of the molding platform, the surface of the oil film becomes very unstable, which affects the molding quality and precision. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this invention is to provide a release device and method for photopolymer 3D printing, which aims to solve the technical problems of poor release effect between the molded product and the release film and the impact of deformation of the release film on the molding quality of the 3D printed product in related technologies.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a photopolymerization 3D printing release device, comprising:

[0007] The molding box has a light-transmitting bottom wall. The inner cavity of the molding box is divided into a second chamber and a first chamber, which are spaced apart vertically, by a permeable membrane. The side wall of the molding box has an inlet and an outlet that communicate with the first chamber. The first chamber is used to hold lubricant, and the second chamber is used to hold photocurable 3D printing molding material.

[0008] The lubricant can flow from the inlet through the first chamber and then out through the outlet. When the lubricant flows through the first chamber, it can penetrate upward through the permeation membrane and form a release layer on the upper surface of the permeation membrane. An external light source can pass through the light-transmitting bottom wall, the lubricant in the first chamber and the permeation membrane from bottom to top, so that the photocurable 3D printing molding material in the second chamber can be photocured and formed.

[0009] Optionally, the translucent bottom wall is made of at least one of silicon dioxide, glass, polymethyl methacrylate, and high molecular weight polyethylene.

[0010] Optionally, the thickness of the light-transmitting bottom wall is A, wherein 1mm≤A≤10mm.

[0011] Optionally, the lubricant is at least one of fluorinated oil, fluorocarbon resin fluorinated oil, fluorosilicone fluorinated oil, fluoroether fluorinated oil, fluorosilane fluorinated oil, silicone oil, water, an inorganic salt solution of water, and an organic solution of water.

[0012] Optionally, the thickness of the permeation membrane is B, wherein 0.05 mm ≤ B ≤ 10 mm.

[0013] Optionally, the permeation membrane has a non-porous structure; or,

[0014] The permeation membrane has a plurality of spaced permeation micropores, each micropore having a diameter of C, where 0.01 μm ≤ C ≤ 200 μm.

[0015] Optionally, the height of the first chamber is D, where 0.5mm ≤ D ≤ 10mm.

[0016] Optionally, the second chamber has a molding platform that can be raised and lowered within the second chamber to allow the photocurable 3D printing molding material in the second chamber to be photocured and molded onto the molding platform.

[0017] Based on the same technical concept, in a second aspect, the present invention proposes a photopolymer 3D printing release method, applied to the photopolymer 3D printing release device described in the first aspect, the photopolymer 3D printing release method comprising the following steps:

[0018] The lubricant is allowed to flow from the inlet through the first chamber and out from the outlet, so that the lubricant can penetrate upward through the permeation membrane and form the release layer on the upper surface of the permeation membrane as it flows through the first chamber;

[0019] The photopolymerizable 3D printing material is filled into the second chamber;

[0020] The light source is controlled to pass through the light-transmitting bottom wall, the lubricant in the first chamber, and the permeation membrane from bottom to top, and the photocurable 3D printing material in the second chamber is photocured to form a 3D printing material, thus completing the 3D printing process.

[0021] Optionally, the step of allowing the lubricant to flow from the inlet through the first chamber and out from the outlet, so that the lubricant can permeate upward through the permeation membrane and form the release layer on the upper surface of the permeation membrane as it flows through the first chamber, includes:

[0022] The lubricant is allowed to flow from the inlet through the first chamber and out of the outlet at a speed of 1 mm / s to 100 mm / s, so that the lubricant can penetrate upward through the permeation membrane and form the release layer on the upper surface of the permeation membrane as it flows through the first chamber.

[0023] This invention utilizes a molding box. During use, lubricant is first introduced into the first chamber through an inlet, allowing it to flow out through an outlet. Simultaneously, the lubricant in the first chamber permeates upwards through a permeation membrane, forming an isolation layer on its upper surface. After this isolation layer, photocurable 3D printing material is injected into the second chamber. An external light source then passes through the translucent bottom wall, the lubricant in the first chamber, and the permeation membrane from bottom to top, causing the photocurable 3D printing material in the second chamber to photocur and solidify. This results in a good release effect between the molded product and the permeation membrane. Furthermore, this invention allows the use of the lubricant-formed isolation layer instead of a separate release membrane, eliminating the need for a separate release membrane and avoiding the technical defects caused by poor release effects affecting product quality. Additionally, because the lubricant remains in a flowing state during the molding process, it carries away the heat generated during molding, achieving heat dissipation during photocurable 3D printing and enabling high-speed printing. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention 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 the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a photopolymerization 3D printing release device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the photopolymerization 3D printing release method of this invention. Attached image description:

[0028]

[0029] The objectives, features, and advantages of this invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the mechanisms in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0032] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0033] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the meaning of "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions; for example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0034] The inventive concept of the present invention will be further explained below with reference to some specific embodiments.

[0035] This invention proposes a release device and method for photopolymer 3D printing.

[0036] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, an embodiment of the photopolymerization 3D printing release device and method disclosed in this invention is presented.

[0037] In this embodiment, please refer to Figures 1-2 This type of photopolymer 3D printing release device includes a molding box 100, the bottom wall of which is a light-transmitting bottom wall 110. The inner cavity of the molding box 100 is divided into a second chamber 120 and a first chamber 130, which are spaced apart vertically by a permeation membrane 160. An inlet 140 and an outlet 150 communicating with the first chamber 130 are provided on the side wall of the molding box 100. The first chamber 130 is used to hold lubricant, and the second chamber 120 is used to hold photopolymer 3D printing molding material. The lubricant can flow from the inlet 140 through the first chamber 130 and then out of the outlet 150. When the lubricant flows through the first chamber 130, it can permeate upward through the permeation membrane 160 and form a release layer on the upper surface of the permeation membrane 160. An external light source can pass through the light-transmitting bottom wall 110, the lubricant in the first chamber 130, and the permeation membrane 160 from bottom to top, so that the photopolymer 3D printing molding material in the second chamber is photopolymerized.

[0038] In this embodiment, by setting the molding box 100, when the present invention is in use, lubricant is first introduced into the first chamber 130 through the inlet 140, so that the lubricant can flow out from the outlet 150 after flowing through the first chamber 130. At the same time, the lubricant in the first chamber 130 can permeate upward through the permeation membrane 160 and form an isolation layer on the upper surface of the permeation membrane 160. After the isolation layer is formed, photocurable 3D printing molding material is injected into the second chamber 120. Then, an external light source can pass through the light-transmitting bottom wall 110, the lubricant in the first chamber 130, and the permeation membrane 160 from bottom to top, so as to... The photocurable 3D printing material in the second chamber is photocured, resulting in a better release effect between the molded product and the permeation membrane 160. This also allows the lubricant-formed isolation layer to be used directly instead of a release membrane, eliminating the need for a separate release membrane and avoiding the technical defect of poor product molding quality due to poor release effect. At the same time, since the lubricant is always in a flowing state during the molding process, it can carry away the heat generated during the molding process, realizing the function of heat dissipation during the photocurable 3D printing molding process and enabling high-speed printing.

[0039] It should be specifically and clearly stated that the example transparent bottom wall 110 is made of at least one of silicon dioxide, glass, polymethyl methacrylate, and high molecular weight polyethylene. The thickness of the transparent bottom wall 110 is A, wherein 1 mm ≤ A ≤ 10 mm. Furthermore, the example lubricant is at least one of fluorinated oil, fluorocarbon resin fluorinated oil, fluorosilicone fluorinated oil, fluoroether fluorinated oil, fluorosilane fluorinated oil, silicone oil, water, an inorganic salt solution of water, and an organic solution of water. The thickness of the permeation membrane 160 is B, wherein 0.05 mm ≤ B ≤ 10 mm. A plurality of spaced-apart permeation micropores are formed on the permeation membrane 160, and the pore size of each micropore is C, wherein 0.01 μm ≤ C ≤ 200 μm. The height of the first chamber 130 is D, wherein 0.5 mm ≤ D ≤ 10 mm.

[0040] It is understood that in this embodiment, the light-transmitting bottom wall 110 is made of at least one of silicon dioxide, glass, polymethyl methacrylate, and high molecular weight polyethylene, and the thickness of the light-transmitting bottom wall 110 is A, wherein 1mm ≤ A ≤ 10mm. This allows the external light source to pass through the light-transmitting bottom wall 110 better during use, reducing light loss. Of course, in the exemplary embodiment, the height of the first chamber 130 is set to 0.5mm to 10mm, which allows the lubricant to flow better within the first chamber 130 during use, while also preventing the entire molding box 100 from becoming too complex.

[0041] Of course, in exemplary embodiments, the permeation membrane 160 can also be a non-porous membrane material. Specifically, the non-porous permeation membrane 160 can be a polymer network structure capable of absorbing water or oil, forming a hydrogel or oleogel after absorbing water and oil. For example, the hydrogel can be a polyacrylamide hydrogel, hyaluronic acid hydrogel, or polyvinyl alcohol / polyvinylpyrrolidone-based hydrogel; the oleogel can be an oleogel formed by fluorinated oil permeating into silicone rubber. Lubricant permeates to the upper surface of the permeation membrane 160 through the gaps between the molecules of the permeation membrane 160.

[0042] In some specific embodiments, the second chamber 120 has a molding platform 200, which can be raised and lowered within the second chamber 120 so that the photocurable 3D printing molding material in the second chamber is photocured and molded onto the molding platform 200.

[0043] In this embodiment, by setting a molding platform 200 in the second chamber 120 and enabling the molding platform 200 to rise and fall within the second chamber 120, the present invention can enable the molded product to be formed more quickly on the molding platform 200 during photopolymerization 3D printing, thus ensuring the molding quality.

[0044] It should be specifically and clearly stated that there should be a gap between the second chamber 120 and the molding platform 200 in the example, that is, the molding platform 200 does not move up and down with the second chamber 120.

[0045] Based on the same technical concept, in a second aspect, the present invention proposes a photopolymer 3D printing release method, applied to the photopolymer 3D printing release device described in the first aspect, the photopolymer 3D printing release method comprising the following steps:

[0046] S100, the lubricant is allowed to flow from the inlet through the first chamber and out from the outlet, so that the lubricant can penetrate upward through the permeation membrane and form the release layer on the upper surface of the permeation membrane when it flows through the first chamber;

[0047] S200: Fill the second chamber with the photocurable 3D printing molding material;

[0048] S300: Control the light source to pass through the light-transmitting bottom wall, the lubricant in the first chamber, and the permeation membrane from bottom to top, and cause the photocurable 3D printing material in the second chamber to photocur and form a 3D printing material, thereby completing the 3D printing.

[0049] In this embodiment, lubricant is first introduced into the first chamber through the inlet, allowing it to flow out from the outlet after passing through the first chamber. Simultaneously, the lubricant in the first chamber permeates upwards through the permeation membrane, forming an isolation layer on its upper surface. After the isolation layer is formed, photocurable 3D printing material is injected into the second chamber. An external light source then passes through the translucent bottom wall, the lubricant in the first chamber, and the permeation membrane sequentially from bottom to top, causing the photocurable 3D printing material in the second chamber to photocur and solidify. This results in a good release effect between the molded product and the permeation membrane, eliminating the need for a separate release membrane and avoiding the technical defect of poor product molding quality due to poor release. Furthermore, since the lubricant remains in a flowing state during the molding process, it can carry away the heat generated during molding, achieving heat dissipation during the photocurable 3D printing process.

[0050] In some specific embodiments, step S100 includes:

[0051] The lubricant is allowed to flow from the inlet through the first chamber and out of the outlet at a speed of 1 mm / s to 100 mm / s, so that the lubricant can penetrate upward through the permeation membrane and form the release layer on the upper surface of the permeation membrane as it flows through the first chamber.

[0052] In this embodiment, the lubricant flow rate is maintained between 1 mm / s and 100 mm / s. This not only ensures a more stable flow process, achieving stable lubricant penetration into the permeation membrane 160 and minimizing membrane deformation, but also facilitates effective heat dissipation during the printing process. The above descriptions are merely optional embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the patent. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the inventive concept of the present invention and the description and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A release device for photopolymerization 3D printing, characterized in that, include: The molding box has a light-transmitting bottom wall. The inner cavity of the molding box is divided into a second chamber and a first chamber, which are spaced apart vertically, by a permeable membrane. The side wall of the molding box has an inlet and an outlet that communicate with the first chamber. The first chamber is used to hold lubricant, and the second chamber is used to hold photocurable 3D printing molding material. The lubricant can flow from the inlet through the first chamber and then out through the outlet. When the lubricant flows through the first chamber, it can penetrate upward through the permeation membrane and form a release layer on the upper surface of the permeation membrane. An external light source can pass through the light-transmitting bottom wall, the lubricant in the first chamber, and the permeation membrane from bottom to top, so that the photocurable 3D printing molding material in the second chamber can be photocured and molded. The thickness of the permeation membrane is B, wherein 0.05 mm ≤ B ≤ 10 mm; The permeable membrane has a non-porous structure; or... The permeation membrane has a plurality of spaced permeation micropores, and the pore size of each permeation micropore is C, 0.01μm≤C≤200μm; The second chamber has a molding platform that can be raised and lowered within the second chamber to allow the photocurable 3D printing molding material in the second chamber to be photocured and molded onto the molding platform.

2. The photopolymerization 3D printing release device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The translucent bottom wall is made of at least one of silicon dioxide, glass, polymethyl methacrylate, and high molecular weight polyethylene.

3. The photopolymerization 3D printing release device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The thickness of the light-transmitting bottom wall is A, where 1mm ≤ A ≤ 10mm.

4. The photopolymerization 3D printing release device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lubricant is at least one of fluorinated oil, fluorocarbon resin fluorinated oil, fluorosilicone fluorinated oil, fluoroether fluorinated oil, fluorosilane fluorinated oil, silicone oil, water, an inorganic salt solution of water, and an organic solution of water.

5. The photopolymerization 3D printing release apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The height of the first chamber is D, where 0.5mm ≤ D ≤ 10mm.

6. A release method for photopolymer 3D printing, characterized in that, The photopolymer 3D printing release apparatus, as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, comprises the following steps: The lubricant is allowed to flow from the inlet through the first chamber and out from the outlet, so that the lubricant can penetrate upward through the permeation membrane and form the release layer on the upper surface of the permeation membrane as it flows through the first chamber; The photopolymerizable 3D printing material is filled into the second chamber; The light source is controlled to pass through the light-transmitting bottom wall, the lubricant in the first chamber, and the permeation membrane from bottom to top, and the photocurable 3D printing material in the second chamber is photocured to form a 3D printing material, thus completing the 3D printing process.

7. The photopolymerization 3D printing release method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The step of allowing the lubricant to flow from the inlet through the first chamber and out from the outlet, so that the lubricant can permeate upward through the permeation membrane and form the release layer on the upper surface of the permeation membrane as it flows through the first chamber, includes: The lubricant is allowed to flow from the inlet through the first chamber and out of the outlet at a speed of 1 mm / s to 100 mm / s, so that the lubricant can penetrate upward through the permeation membrane and form the release layer on the upper surface of the permeation membrane as it flows through the first chamber.

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