3D printing method and system for redundant continuous production of dual industrial control computers

Abstract

The present invention provides a 3D printing method and system for redundant continuous production of dual industrial computers, which relates to the field of 3D printing. The printing method includes: S1, automatic startup; S2, data transmission and data synchronization; S3, status monitoring; S4, automatic task takeover; S5, task execution and data consistency verification; S6, smooth continuation control; S7, switching and recovery of main and auxiliary industrial computers. The present invention enhances the stability and fault tolerance of the system by adding an auxiliary industrial computer, and realizes the monitoring of the main industrial computer by the auxiliary industrial computer and the automatic takeover of the printing task by the auxiliary industrial computer through the cooperation between the auxiliary industrial computer and the main industrial computer. Through the dual industrial computer redundant system, the printing interruption problem caused by the industrial computer problem can be effectively solved, and the continuity of 3D printing tasks and the stability of product quality can be guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of 3D printing, and in particular to a 3D printing method and system for redundant continuous production of dual industrial control computers. Background Art

[0002] In the continuous production process of large-scale metal 3D printers, printing tasks may last for hundreds of hours or even longer. Due to this long-term uninterrupted work, extremely high requirements are placed on the stability and reliability of industrial computers (industrial control computers). However, in actual operation, the following occasional abnormal situations may be encountered:

[0003] ① System poisoning: Although industrial control computers are usually highly secure and closed, they may still be infected with malware or viruses due to external storage devices or network connections. These malware may cause system resources to be occupied, affect computer performance, and ultimately cause printing interruption.

[0004] ② Software stuck: During long-term operation, the control software may get stuck due to memory leaks, program vulnerabilities, resource conflicts, etc. Software stuck will cause the printer to be unable to continue to perform printing tasks, affecting the integrity and quality of printing.

[0005] ③Computer freeze: The industrial computer may freeze during operation due to hardware failure, overheating, unstable power supply, etc. The freeze will not only interrupt the current printing task, but also cause the printer to stay in the working state, damaging the printout or printing equipment.

[0006] ④ External interference: External factors such as electromagnetic interference, power fluctuations or sudden power outages can also affect the normal operation of the industrial computer. These interferences may cause the printer's control system to malfunction or fail.

[0007] ⑤ Resource exhaustion: During a long printing process, system resources such as memory, CPU, disk space, etc. may gradually be exhausted, causing the control software to fail to run normally. Especially in complex printing tasks, if resources are not managed properly, resource exhaustion is more common.

[0008] ⑥ Hardware aging or failure: The hardware of the industrial computer may age or suddenly fail under long-term high-load operation. For example, the hard disk may have bad sectors, the memory module may fail, the cooling system may fail, etc. These problems will affect the normal operation of the system.

[0009] In these cases, without effective failure recovery mechanisms and monitoring systems, there will be widespread impacts:

[0010] ① Economic cost: The metal powder used in the 3D printing process is usually expensive. Once the printing is interrupted and the downtime is too long, the unfinished part may not be reused, and the large amount of material invested in the early stage may be wasted. Especially in the printing tasks of large size or complex structure, the loss is more significant.

[0011] ②Time and production plan: Large-scale 3D printing tasks often require hundreds of hours of uninterrupted operation. Interruptions will cause the accumulated working hours to be invalidated and the printing will need to be restarted. In serious cases, the entire production plan will be disrupted, and customer orders cannot be delivered on time, affecting the company's reputation and customer satisfaction.

[0012] ③Quality of finished products: Printing interruptions caused by abnormalities in the industrial computer may lead to defects in the finished products, such as disconnection between layers, uneven surface, and substandard structural strength. The joints of the continued printing after the interruption in the printing process may form structural weaknesses, affecting the overall quality and performance of the finished products.

[0013] ④ Equipment damage: Being in an abnormal state for a long time may cause damage to the printer system and shorten the service life of the equipment.

[0014] Therefore, it is necessary to propose a new printing system and printing method in order to solve the above defects. Summary of the invention

[0015] In order to solve the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a 3D printing method and system for redundant continuous production of dual industrial computers. The stability and fault tolerance of the system are enhanced by adding an auxiliary industrial computer. Through the cooperation between the auxiliary industrial computer and the main industrial computer, the auxiliary industrial computer monitors the main industrial computer and automatically takes over the printing tasks. When a problem occurs in the main industrial computer, the auxiliary industrial computer promptly takes over the tasks of the main industrial computer to complete the unfinished printing tasks of the main industrial computer, ensuring that the printing tasks can be completed normally. Through the dual industrial computer redundant system, the printing interruption problem caused by the industrial computer problem can be effectively solved, and the continuity of the 3D printing tasks and the stability of product quality can be guaranteed.

[0016] Specifically, on the one hand, the present invention provides a 3D printing method for redundant continuous production of dual industrial control computers, which comprises the following steps:

[0017] S1. Automatic startup: After the control system is powered on, the auxiliary industrial computer automatically starts up and runs the monitoring program to provide monitoring and backup support for the main industrial computer;

[0018] S2. Data transmission and data synchronization: Before the printing task starts, the main industrial computer sends the printing data and task status to the auxiliary industrial computer. During the printing process, the main industrial computer continuously sends the printing progress and status information to the auxiliary industrial computer in real time. The auxiliary industrial computer builds a complete task progress chart based on the received data.

[0019] S3, status monitoring: The auxiliary IPC monitors the running status of the main IPC in real time and detects whether the main IPC is online. The specific judgment method is as follows: A={1, the auxiliary IPC receives the heartbeat signal of the main IPC; 0, the heartbeat signal is not received for more than the set time threshold}; if A=0, the auxiliary IPC will determine that the main IPC is disconnected;

[0020] S4, automatic task takeover: When the auxiliary industrial computer detects that the main industrial computer is disconnected, the auxiliary industrial computer starts the automatic takeover mechanism, synchronizes the current device status information with the logic controller, receives the control right of the printing task, and continues the unfinished printing task;

[0021] S5, task execution and data consistency check: After taking over the printing task, the auxiliary IPC will continue to execute the unfinished printing content of the main IPC and perform consistency check on the data before printing: the data consistency check formula is Cdata=Hmain⊕Haux; where Hmain and Haux are the task data hash values ​​of the main IPC and auxiliary IPC respectively. When Cdata≠0, the data resynchronization mechanism is triggered;

[0022] S6, smooth continuous printing control: use the cubic spline interpolation algorithm formula P(t)=a+b(Pnext-Pprev)+c(Pnext-Pprev) 2 +d(Pnext-Pprev) 3 Calculate the smooth control variable to achieve smooth transition of laser power control, where P(t) is the laser power value at the current moment, Pprev is the laser power value of the last synchronization, Pnext is the expected laser power value next time, and coefficients a, b, c, d are derivative boundary conditions;

[0023] S7, switching and recovery between the main industrial computer and the auxiliary industrial computer: When the main industrial computer returns to normal, the control system allows the main industrial computer to take over the printing task again, and the main industrial computer obtains the latest printing progress and status information from the auxiliary industrial computer.

[0024] Preferably, in step S7, during the switching process, the control system sets a redundant safety mechanism, which includes printing pause, buffer data verification and synchronization confirmation.

[0025] Preferably, the switching process of step S7 is simplified to a state machine model including three states: main industrial computer control, auxiliary industrial computer control and switching state; wherein, the state switching condition is: S={MainControl, if Mstatus=Healthyand Cverify=0; AuxControl, if Mstatus=Unhealthy; Switching, if Mstatus=Recovering;} wherein, Mstatus is the status of the main industrial computer, Healthy means normal, Unhealthy means abnormal, Recovering means recovering, Cverify means the data consistency verification result, and 0 means consistent.

[0026] Preferably, in step S3, the auxiliary industrial computer periodically sends heartbeat packets or performs status inquiries through a network connection to detect whether the main industrial computer is online.

[0027] Preferably, in step S4, the auxiliary industrial computer starts the automatic takeover mechanism within 0.5 seconds after detecting that the main industrial computer is disconnected.

[0028] On the other hand, the present invention provides a dual industrial computer redundant continuous production 3D printing system, which includes a control system, a main industrial computer, an auxiliary industrial computer, a logic controller and a galvanometer card, and the control system, the main industrial computer, the auxiliary industrial computer, the logic controller and the galvanometer card are respectively communicatively connected.

[0029] Preferably, the control system is provided with a monitoring module, a status monitoring module, an automatic takeover module, a task execution and data consistency verification module and a smooth continuation module;

[0030] The monitoring module is used to provide monitoring and backup support for the main industrial computer;

[0031] The status monitoring module is used to enable the auxiliary industrial computer to monitor the operating status of the main industrial computer in real time and detect whether the main industrial computer is online;

[0032] The automatic takeover module is used to start the automatic takeover mechanism when the auxiliary industrial computer detects that the main industrial computer is disconnected. The auxiliary industrial computer synchronizes the current device status information with the logic controller, receives the control right of the printing task, and continues the unfinished printing task;

[0033] The task execution and data consistency check module is used to enable the auxiliary industrial computer to continue to execute the unfinished printing content of the main industrial computer after taking over the printing task, and to perform consistency check on the data before printing;

[0034] The smooth continuation printing module uses the cubic spline interpolation algorithm to smooth the control variables and achieve smooth continuation printing.

[0035] Preferably, the control system is further provided with a switching system, and the switching system is provided with a redundant safety mechanism, and the safety mechanism includes printing pause, buffer data verification and synchronization confirmation.

[0036] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0037] (1) The 3D printing method and system for redundant continuous production with dual industrial computers provided by the present invention enhances the stability and fault tolerance of the system by adding an auxiliary industrial computer. Through the cooperation between the auxiliary industrial computer and the main industrial computer, the auxiliary industrial computer monitors the main industrial computer and automatically takes over the printing tasks. When a problem occurs with the main industrial computer, the auxiliary industrial computer promptly takes over the tasks of the main industrial computer and completes the unfinished printing tasks of the main industrial computer, thereby ensuring that the printing tasks can be completed normally. The dual industrial computer redundant system can effectively solve the printing interruption problem caused by industrial computer problems, thereby ensuring the continuity of 3D printing tasks and the stability of product quality.

[0038] (2) The 3D printing method and system for redundant continuous production of dual industrial computers provided by the present invention, through the introduction of auxiliary industrial computers, implements multi-level fault prevention measures, such as network communication detection, data backup, and real-time status monitoring, to further reduce the risk of printing interruption. The main and auxiliary industrial computers regularly perform status health checks and system updates to ensure the optimal operating status of hardware and software. At the same time, by analyzing the logs and status data collected by the auxiliary industrial computers, the printing process and exception handling logic are further optimized.

[0039] (3) The dual industrial computer redundant system of the present invention significantly improves the overall stability of the production line, allowing the printer to continue to operate when facing a single point failure, thereby improving production efficiency and equipment utilization. At the same time, it can reduce material waste and equipment loss caused by printing interruptions, thereby reducing maintenance costs. At the same time, the monitoring function of the auxiliary industrial computer can provide early warning of possible system failures, helping preventive maintenance and reducing downtime. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the redundant operation process of the dual industrial control computers of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the interaction between two industrial control computers of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 3 It is a schematic block diagram of the modules of the control system of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0044] Specifically, on the one hand, Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the present invention provides a 3D printing method for redundant continuous production of dual industrial control computers, which includes the following steps:

[0045] S1. Connect the power supply, and the whole system starts automatically: After the system is powered on, the control system works, the auxiliary industrial computer automatically starts and runs the monitoring program, and provides monitoring and backup support for the main industrial computer; after the system is powered on, the auxiliary industrial computer automatically starts and runs the monitoring program, and the whole process does not require manual intervention. This automatic startup mechanism can ensure that after the unexpected power failure is restored, the auxiliary industrial computer can immediately enter the working state, provide monitoring and backup support for the main industrial computer, and prevent printing interruption or data loss due to accidents of the main industrial computer during use.

[0046] S2. Data transmission and data synchronization: Before the printing task starts, the main industrial computer sends the printing data and task status to the auxiliary industrial computer. During the entire printing period, the main industrial computer continues to send the printing progress and status information to the auxiliary industrial computer in real time, and the auxiliary industrial computer builds a complete task progress chart based on the received data; before the printing task starts, the main industrial computer sends the printing data, task status and other key information to the auxiliary industrial computer. During the printing period, the main industrial computer continues to send the printing progress and status information to the auxiliary industrial computer in real time. The auxiliary industrial computer builds a complete task progress chart based on the received data, so that it can understand the specific status of the current printing at any time and can take over the printing task as soon as the main industrial computer has a problem, avoiding printing interruption or printing problems.

[0047] S3. Status monitoring: During the entire printing process, the auxiliary industrial computer monitors the operating status of the main industrial computer in real time. In specific monitoring, it can periodically send heartbeat packets or perform status queries through the network connection to detect whether the main industrial computer is online. The specific judgment formula is as follows: A={1, the auxiliary industrial computer receives the heartbeat signal of the main industrial computer; 0, the heartbeat signal is not received for more than the set time threshold}; If A=0, the auxiliary industrial computer will determine that the main industrial computer is disconnected.

[0048] S4, automatic takeover of tasks: When the auxiliary industrial computer detects that the main industrial computer is disconnected, the auxiliary industrial computer starts the automatic takeover mechanism, synchronizes the current device status information with the logic controller, receives the control of the printing task, and continues the unfinished printing task. In specific applications, once the auxiliary industrial computer detects that the main industrial computer is disconnected (such as system crash, freeze, etc.), the auxiliary industrial computer immediately starts the automatic takeover mechanism. The auxiliary industrial computer synchronizes the current device status information with the logic controller, receives the control of the printing task, and continues the unfinished printing task. In order to avoid printing defects caused by takeover delays, the auxiliary industrial computer needs to take over quickly after the main industrial computer loses connection to ensure a seamless printing process. In specific applications, after the auxiliary industrial computer detects that the main industrial computer is disconnected, it starts the automatic takeover mechanism within 0.5s, takes over the printing task of the main industrial computer, and ensures that printing can proceed normally.

[0049] S5. Task execution and data consistency check: After taking over the printing task, the auxiliary IPC will continue to execute the unfinished printing content of the main IPC and perform consistency check on the data before printing: the data consistency check formula is Cdata=Hmain⊕Haux; where Hmain and Haux are the task data hash values ​​of the main IPC and the auxiliary IPC respectively. When Cdata≠0, the data resynchronization mechanism is triggered; after triggering data resynchronization, the data consistency check is performed again until the data verification is consistent. Data consistency check can ensure the accuracy of the printed data and avoid printing failures due to problems with the printed data.

[0050] S6, smooth continuous printing control: use the cubic spline interpolation algorithm formula P(t)=a+b(Pnext-Pprev)+c(Pnext-Pprev) 2 +d(Pnext-Pprev) 3 Calculate the smooth control variables to achieve smooth transition of laser power control, where P(t) is the laser power value at the current moment, Pprev is the laser power value of the last synchronization, Pnext is the expected laser power value next time, and coefficients a, b, c, and d are derivative boundary conditions.

[0051] S7. Switching and recovery between the main and auxiliary IPCs: When the main IPC returns to normal, the system allows the main IPC to take over the printing task again. The main IPC needs to obtain the latest printing progress and status information from the auxiliary IPC to continue printing the auxiliary IPC, avoiding duplicate printing or printing errors.

[0052] Preferably, in a specific embodiment, in step S7, during the switching process, the system sets a redundant safety mechanism, and the redundant safety mechanism includes printing pause, buffer data verification and synchronization confirmation.

[0053] Preferably, the switching process of step S7 is simplified to a state machine model including three states: main industrial computer control, auxiliary industrial computer control and switching state; state switching condition: S={MainControl, if Mstatus=Healthy andCverify=0; AuxControl, if Mstatus=Unhealthy; Switching, if Mstatus=Recovering;} wherein Mstatus is the status of the main industrial computer, Healthy means normal, Unhealthy means abnormal, Recovering means recovering, Cverify: data consistency verification result, 0 means consistent.

[0054] On the other hand, the present invention provides a printing system for the above-mentioned dual industrial computer redundant continuous production 3D printing method, which includes a control system, a main industrial computer, an auxiliary industrial computer, a logic controller and a galvanometer card, and the control system, the main industrial computer, the auxiliary industrial computer, the logic controller and the galvanometer card are respectively communicatively connected.

[0055] Specifically, Figure 3 As shown, the control system is provided with a monitoring module, a status monitoring module, an automatic takeover module, a task execution and data consistency verification module, and a smooth continuation module. The monitoring module is used to provide monitoring and backup support for the main industrial computer. The status monitoring module is used to enable the auxiliary industrial computer to monitor the operating status of the main industrial computer in real time and detect whether the main industrial computer is online. When the auxiliary industrial computer detects that the main industrial computer is disconnected, the auxiliary industrial computer starts the automatic takeover mechanism. The auxiliary industrial computer synchronizes the current device status information with the logic controller, receives the control right of the printing task, and continues the unfinished printing task. The task execution and data consistency verification module is used to enable the auxiliary industrial computer to continue to execute the unfinished printing content of the main industrial computer after taking over the printing task, and to perform consistency verification on the data before printing. The smooth continuation module uses the cubic spline interpolation algorithm to smooth the control variables to achieve smooth continuation.

[0056] In a large-scale industrial production scenario, multi-laser SLM 3D printing technology is used for batch production of high-precision parts. This type of production has extremely high requirements for the continuous operation of the equipment and the printing quality. However, in actual operation, the main industrial computer is interrupted due to hardware failure, which may cause the failure of the printing task, resulting in product defects and serious economic losses. After introducing the dual industrial computer redundant continuous production system of the present invention, the enterprise is equipped with an auxiliary industrial computer for the 3D printing equipment. When the auxiliary industrial computer detects that the main industrial computer has a fault, the auxiliary industrial computer automatically takes over the printing task within 0.5 seconds and continues to perform the printing work from the fault point to ensure the smooth progress of the printing work. In this way, the enterprise effectively avoids printing interruptions caused by industrial computer problems, ensuring product consistency and production continuity. Practical applications show that the system greatly improves the reliability and efficiency of the production line, reduces downtime and scrap rate, and brings significant economic benefits and production safety guarantees.

[0057] The 3D printing method and system for redundant continuous production of dual industrial computers provided by the present invention enhance the stability and fault tolerance of the system by adding an auxiliary industrial computer. Through the cooperation between the auxiliary industrial computer and the main industrial computer, the auxiliary industrial computer monitors the main industrial computer and automatically takes over the printing tasks. When a problem occurs in the main industrial computer, the auxiliary industrial computer promptly takes over the tasks of the main industrial computer to complete the unfinished printing tasks of the main industrial computer, thereby ensuring that the printing tasks can be completed normally. The dual industrial computer redundant system can effectively solve the printing interruption problem caused by the industrial computer problem, thereby ensuring the continuity of the 3D printing tasks and the stability of product quality.

[0058] The embodiments described above are only descriptions of the preferred implementation modes of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Without departing from the design spirit of the present invention, various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by ordinary technicians in this field should all fall within the protection scope determined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A 3D printing method for redundant continuous production of dual industrial computers, characterized in that: It includes the following steps: S1. Automatic startup: After the control system is powered on, the auxiliary industrial computer automatically starts up and runs the monitoring program to provide monitoring and backup support for the main industrial computer; S2. Data transmission and data synchronization: Before the printing task starts, the main industrial computer sends the printing data and task status to the auxiliary industrial computer. During the printing process, the main industrial computer continuously sends the printing progress and status information to the auxiliary industrial computer in real time. The auxiliary industrial computer builds a complete task progress chart based on the received data. S3, status monitoring: The auxiliary IPC monitors the running status of the main IPC in real time and detects whether the main IPC is online. The specific judgment method is as follows: A={1, the auxiliary IPC receives the heartbeat signal of the main IPC; 0, the heartbeat signal is not received for more than the set time threshold}; if A=0, the auxiliary IPC will determine that the main IPC is disconnected; S4, automatic task takeover: When the auxiliary industrial computer detects that the main industrial computer is disconnected, the auxiliary industrial computer starts the automatic takeover mechanism, synchronizes the current device status information with the logic controller, receives the control right of the printing task, and continues the unfinished printing task; S5, task execution and data consistency check: After taking over the printing task, the auxiliary IPC will continue to execute the unfinished printing content of the main IPC and perform consistency check on the data before printing: the data consistency check formula is Cdata=Hmain⊕Haux; where Hmain and Haux are the task data hash values ​​of the main IPC and auxiliary IPC respectively. When Cdata≠0, the data resynchronization mechanism is triggered; S6, smooth continuous printing control: use the cubic spline interpolation algorithm formula P(t)=a+b(Pnext-Pprev)+c(Pnext-Pprev) 2 +d(Pnext-Pprev) 3 Calculate the smooth control variable to achieve smooth transition of laser power control, where P(t) is the laser power value at the current moment, Pprev is the laser power value of the last synchronization, Pnext is the expected laser power value next time, and coefficients a, b, c, d are derivative boundary conditions; S7, switch and restore between the main IPC and the auxiliary IPC: When the main IPC returns to normal, the control system allows the main IPC to take over the printing task again, and the main IPC obtains the latest printing progress and status information from the auxiliary IPC; The switching process of step S7 is simplified into a state machine model including three states: main IPC control, auxiliary IPC control and switching state; wherein the state switching condition is: S={MainControl, if Mstatus=Healthy and Cverify=0; AuxControl, if Mstatus=Unhealthy; Switching, if Mstatus=Recovering;} wherein Mstatus is the main IPC state, Healthy means normal, Unhealthy means abnormal, Recovering means recovering, Cverify means data consistency verification result, and 0 means consistent; Through the introduction of auxiliary industrial computers, the system implements multi-level fault prevention measures, including network communication detection, data backup, and real-time status monitoring.

2. The 3D printing method for redundant continuous production of dual industrial computers according to claim 1, characterized in that: Step S7: During the switching process, the control system sets a redundant safety mechanism, which includes printing pause, buffer data verification and synchronization confirmation.

3. The 3D printing method for redundant continuous production of dual industrial computers according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S3, the auxiliary industrial computer periodically sends heartbeat packets or performs status inquiries through the network connection to detect whether the main industrial computer is online.

4. The 3D printing method for redundant continuous production of dual industrial computers according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S4, the auxiliary industrial computer detects that the main industrial computer is disconnected and starts the automatic takeover mechanism within 0.5 seconds.

5. A printing system for the 3D printing method for redundant continuous production of dual industrial computers as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: It comprises a control system, a main industrial computer, an auxiliary industrial computer, a logic controller and a galvanometer card, and the control system, the main industrial computer, the auxiliary industrial computer, the logic controller and the galvanometer card are respectively connected in communication.

6. The printing system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The control system is equipped with a monitoring module, a status monitoring module, an automatic takeover module, a task execution and data consistency verification module, and a smooth continuation module; The monitoring module is used to provide monitoring and backup support for the main industrial computer; The status monitoring module is used to enable the auxiliary industrial computer to monitor the operating status of the main industrial computer in real time and detect whether the main industrial computer is online; The automatic takeover module is used to start the automatic takeover mechanism when the auxiliary industrial computer detects that the main industrial computer is disconnected. The auxiliary industrial computer synchronizes the current device status information with the logic controller, receives the control right of the printing task, and continues the unfinished printing task; The task execution and data consistency check module is used to enable the auxiliary industrial computer to continue to execute the unfinished printing content of the main industrial computer after taking over the printing task, and to perform consistency check on the data before printing; The smooth continuation printing module uses the cubic spline interpolation algorithm to smooth the control variables and achieve smooth continuation printing.

7. The printing system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The control system is also provided with a switching system, and the switching system is provided with a redundant safety mechanism, and the safety mechanism includes printing pause, buffer data verification and synchronization confirmation.

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