Three-dimensional printing method and nonvolatile storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a three-dimensional printing method and a nonvolatile storage medium. The three-dimensional printing method comprises the following steps: forming a plurality of supporting elements; and forming a body comprised of a body material, where the support elements are configured to support the body, and any one of the plurality of support elements includes at least a first portion proximal to the body and a second portion distal from the body, the first portion comprised of a first material different from the body material, and the second portion comprised of a second material different from the body material. The second portion is composed of a second material different from the first material. The three-dimensional printing method of the present invention facilitates the separation of the support element from the main body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of 3D printing, and in particular to a 3D printing method and a non-volatile storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In the field of additive manufacturing or 3D printing, the desired object is obtained by forming it layer by layer. For some objects, such as those with complex 3D contours, it is often necessary to provide supports to prevent parts of the object from falling off. Currently, the material used to form the object and the material used to form the supports are usually the same. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a three-dimensional printing method is provided, comprising: forming a plurality of support elements; and forming a main body, the main body being composed of a main body material, wherein the support elements are configured to support the main body, and at least one of the plurality of support elements comprises at least a first portion close to the main body and a second portion away from the main body, the first portion being composed of a first material different from the main body material, and the second portion being composed of a second material different from the first material.

[0004] In certain embodiments, the second material is the same as the host material, or the second material is different from the host material.

[0005] In some embodiments, the first portion or the second portion of each support element has the same length.

[0006] In certain embodiments, the length of the first portion of the support element is between 0.2% and 45% of the length of the support element.

[0007] In certain embodiments, the length of the first portion of each support element is 0.02 mm to 3.00 mm.

[0008] In some embodiments, the slice layer thickness is set, wherein the length of the first portion of the support element is 1 to 50 times the slice layer thickness.

[0009] In some embodiments, forming the plurality of support elements further comprises forming a base plate, the plurality of support elements extending from the base plate to the body.

[0010] In certain embodiments, the first material is a water soluble material or a hot melt material.

[0011] In certain embodiments, the first material is a material that can be eroded or dissolved by a solvent.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first material has a lower fracture strength than the main body material; or the first material has a greater brittleness than the main body material; or the first material has a lower hardness than the main body material.

[0013] In some embodiments, the body has a plurality of first engagement portions, and the first portion of each support element has a second engagement portion that cooperates with the first engagement portion.

[0014] In certain embodiments, the first engaging portion is a projection and the second engaging portion is a recess; or the first engaging portion is a recess and the second engaging portion is a projection; or the engaging surfaces of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are planes.

[0015] In certain embodiments, the first bonding portion and the second bonding portion are formed in the same layer having a slice layer thickness.

[0016] In certain embodiments, the first portion of the support element has a neck having a cross-sectional area that is smaller than a cross-sectional area of ​​a remainder of the first portion.

[0017] In certain embodiments, each support element further includes an end portion, the first portion is between the end portion and the second portion, and the end portion is comprised of the body material.

[0018] In some embodiments, at least an initial thickness of support material is cured in a support material region, wherein the support material is the first material or the second material; a preset thickness of main body material is cured in a main body material region, wherein the preset thickness is greater than the initial thickness; a preset thickness of support material is cured in a support material region; and a terminal thickness of main body material is cured, wherein the terminal thickness is equal to the initial thickness.

[0019] In some embodiments, the support element is removed from the body after the body is fully formed.

[0020] In some embodiments, the body is sanded to remove a portion of the remaining support element.

[0021] In some embodiments, the three-dimensional printing method is applied to a printing device, wherein the printing device includes any one of the following: a DLP printing device, an LCD printing device, an SLA printing device, and an FDM printing device.

[0022] In some embodiments, at least one cartridge or nozzle is provided in the printing device, wherein the at least one cartridge or nozzle is configured to supply at least one of the subject material, the first material, and the second material.

[0023] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a nonvolatile storage medium is provided. The nonvolatile storage medium includes a stored program, wherein when the program is running, the device where the nonvolatile storage medium is located is controlled to execute any one of the above three-dimensional printing methods.

[0024] In an embodiment of the present invention, a three-dimensional printing method is adopted to form a plurality of supporting elements; and to form a main body, the main body being composed of a main body material, wherein the supporting elements are configured to support the main body, and any one of the plurality of supporting elements includes a first part close to the main body and a second part away from the main body, the first part being composed of a first material different from the main body material, and the second part being composed of a second material different from the first material, thereby achieving the purpose of facilitating the removal of the supporting material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of this application. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0026] Figure 1 A hardware structure block diagram of a computer terminal for implementing a three-dimensional printing method is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 is a schematic flow chart of a three-dimensional printing method provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 is a first schematic diagram of a printed object according to a three-dimensional printing method provided in an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 is a second schematic diagram of a printed object according to a three-dimensional printing method provided in an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 is a third schematic diagram of a printed object according to a three-dimensional printing method provided in an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another printed object according to a three-dimensional printing method provided in an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an initial state of printing using two materials according to an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a first state of printing using two materials provided in an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a second state of printing using two materials provided in an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of a third state of printing using two materials according to an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of a fourth state of printing using two materials according to an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of a fifth state of printing using two materials provided in an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Fig.13 is a schematic diagram of a sixth state of printing using two materials provided in an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Fig.14 is a structural block diagram of a three-dimensional printing device provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the scheme of the present invention, the technical scheme in the embodiment of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiment of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiment is only an embodiment of a part of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. The elements, components or steps in the various embodiments of the present invention can be arbitrarily combined when there is no contradiction, and the embodiments formed by such combination are also deemed to be disclosed by the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present invention and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present invention described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0042] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method embodiment of a three-dimensional printing method is provided. It should be noted that the steps shown in the flowchart of the accompanying drawings can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer executable instructions, and although a logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described can be executed in an order different from that shown here.

[0043] The method embodiment provided in the first embodiment of the present application can be executed in a mobile terminal, a computer terminal or a similar computing device. Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a hardware structure block diagram of a computer terminal for implementing a three-dimensional printing method. Figure 1 As shown, the computer terminal 10 may include one or more processors 102a, 102b, ..., 102n (the processor may include but is not limited to a processing device such as a microprocessor MCU or a programmable logic device FPGA), a memory 104 for storing data. In addition, it may also include: a display, an input / output interface (I / O interface), a universal serial bus (USB) port (which may be included as one of the ports of the BUS bus), a network interface, a power supply and / or a camera. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that Figure 1 The structure shown is only for illustration and does not limit the structure of the above electronic device. Figure 1 More or fewer components as shown, or with Figure 1 Different configurations are shown.

[0044] It should be noted that the one or more processors and / or other data processing circuits described above may generally be referred to herein as "data processing circuits". The data processing circuits may be embodied in whole or in part as software, hardware, firmware, or any other combination thereof. In addition, the data processing circuit may be a single independent processing module, or may be incorporated in whole or in part into any of the other components in the computer terminal 10. As described in the embodiments of the present application, the data processing circuit acts as a processor control (e.g., selection of a variable resistor terminal path connected to an interface).

[0045] The memory 104 can be used to store software programs and modules of application software, such as program instructions / data storage devices. The processor executes various functional applications and data processing by running the software programs and modules stored in the memory 104. The memory 104 may include a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. In some examples, the memory 104 may further include a memory remotely arranged relative to the processor, and these remote memories may be connected to the computer terminal 10 via a network. Examples of the above-mentioned network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0046] The display may be, for example, a touch screen liquid crystal display (LCD) that enables a user to interact with a user interface of the computer 10 .

[0047] In 3D printing technologies such as digital light processing (DLP), fused deposition modeling (FDM), and laser stereolithography (SLA), support is usually required. The method provided by the present invention can be applied to any 3D printing process that requires a support structure.

[0048] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a three-dimensional printing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, the method comprises the following steps:

[0049] Step S202: forming a plurality of supporting elements.

[0050] Step S204, forming a main body, the main body is composed of a main body material, wherein the supporting element is configured to support the main body, and any one of the plurality of supporting elements includes a first part close to the main body and a second part away from the main body, the first part is composed of a first material different from the main body material, and the second part is composed of a second material different from the first material.

[0051] Multiple support elements and a main body can be printed based on the printed slice data. Among them, the support elements are used to support the main body. In 3D printing, support elements (also called support structures) are a very important part because they provide additional stability and support for the model during the printing process.

[0052] Printing slicing data refers to the process of converting a three-dimensional (3D) model into multiple data for single-layer printing, which are then used to guide the 3D printer to build the object layer by layer. The slicing process can be completed by specialized slicing software.

[0053] Based on the printed slice data, printing can be performed layer by layer to obtain a 3D model, that is, multiple support elements and a main body. Among them, the main body is the 3D model that you want to obtain in this printing, and the support element refers to a temporary structure used to support the main body (for example, to prevent printing failure or deformation) during the printing process. In many scenarios, the support element needs to be removed from the main body after printing. The main body is formed by printing based on the main body material, and the main body material may include one or more materials. Each supporting element includes a first part and a second part, wherein the first part is a supporting part close to the main body, that is, a part connected to the main body, and the remaining part can be used as the second part. The first material is a material different from the main body material, and special support materials can be used, for example, water-soluble, heat-soluble, easily removable rigid materials, materials that can be dissolved by organic solvents, etc. The selected support material facilitates the subsequent separation of the support element from the main body, which can improve the efficiency of obtaining the final main body or avoid related post-processing operations.

[0054] As an optional embodiment, the second material is the same as the main body material, or the second material is different from the main body material. The second material is a material different from the first material, that is, the second material can be the same as the main body material or different from the main body material. In some embodiments, "removing the support element" means that the part of the support element close to the main body is separated from the main body, and does not necessarily mean that any part of the support element is broken. For example, to remove the support element, it is only necessary to remove the support part (first part) in contact with the main body. For example, the second part of the support element is first formed using the same printing material as the main body material. Then, for example, an easily removable material is used in the target part that needs to be connected to the printing support and the main body.

[0055] In some scenarios, the support material is expensive, and it is advantageous to reduce the consumption of the support material while maintaining its support function. For example, the support element includes a portion consisting of the support material and the remaining portion consisting of the main body material, which can reduce costs.

[0056] As used herein, "different materials" refer to at least two materials that have at least one optical, physical, chemical and / or mechanical property that is different from each other once cured or solidified. Non-limiting examples of optical properties include color, refractive index, polarization, reflection, absorption, photoluminescence, transmission, diffraction, dispersion, dichroism, scattering, birefringence, photosensitivity, etc. Non-limiting examples of physical properties include melting point, solidification temperature, glass transition temperature, capacitance, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, resistance, electrical impedance, inductance, magnetic permeability, dielectric constant, elasticity, etc. Non-limiting examples of mechanical properties include yield strength, tensile strength, ductility, etc. In addition, non-limiting examples of chemical compositions include materials such as photopolymers formed from acrylic resins, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl cinnamate, polyisoprene, polyamide, epoxy resin, polyimide, styrene block copolymers, nitrile rubber, etc. In addition, the photopolymer may contain or not contain conductive and / or non-conductive fillers, fibers, particles, additives, etc.

[0057] As an optional embodiment, forming the plurality of support elements further comprises forming a bottom plate, and the plurality of support elements extend from the bottom plate to the main body.

[0058] Figure 3 is a first schematic diagram of a printed object according to a three-dimensional printing method provided in an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 3 As shown, the printed object is adhered or formed on the platform 31 in a layer-by-layer solidification manner, and the printed object includes a support element 34 and a main body 36. During the printing process, the support element 34 is formed first, and then the main body 36 integrated with the support element 34 is formed. In some embodiments, the support element 34 also includes a bottom plate 32, and the bottom plate 32 has a flat surface, for example, so as to be well adhered to the platform 31. Figure 3In the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of support elements 34 are located between the base plate 32 and the main body 36, and the plurality of (e.g., at least two) support elements 34 have different lengths, which, for example, depends on the contour shape of the support surface 362 of the main body 36 to which the support element corresponds. The support surface 362 is the surface of the main body 36 that faces the support element 34. In some embodiments, the support surface 362 can be a flat surface, thereby allowing a plurality of support elements 34 of the same length or height. Similarly, the support surface 362 can be a curved surface, thereby allowing a plurality of support elements 34 of different lengths or heights.

[0059] As an optional embodiment, the first portion or the second portion corresponding to each supporting element has the same length.

[0060] Figure 4 is a second schematic diagram of a printed object according to a three-dimensional printing method provided in an optional embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, each of the plurality of support elements 34 includes a first portion 342 proximate to the body 36 and a second portion 344 distal to the body. The first portion 342 is made of a first material, and the second portion 344 is made of a second material different from the first material. Figure 4 In the embodiment, the first part 342 (being Figure 4 The dashed line and the support surface 362 (enclosed together) have the same length.

[0061] Figure 5 is a third schematic diagram of a printed object according to a three-dimensional printing method provided in an optional embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, each of the plurality of support elements 34 includes a first portion 346 proximate to the body 36 and a second portion 348 distal to the body. The first portion 342 is made of a first material, and the second portion 344 is made of a second material different from the first material. Figure 5 In the embodiment, the second portion 348 (being Figure 5 The dashed lines (enclosed in the middle) have the same length.

[0062] exist Figure 4 and Figure 5In the illustrated embodiment, the first part 342, 346 is made of a material 344, 348 different from that forming the second part. The materials of the first part 342, 346 are selected according to various purposes. For example, in order to more easily separate the first part from the main body, the first material of the first part can be a water-soluble material (e.g., PVA), or a hot-melt material, or a material that can be dissolved by an organic solvent. It should be noted that when the support element is separated from the main body by various processes, the main body will not or substantially will not be damaged, but only the support element will be destroyed. In some embodiments, the support element is made of two materials, and the second material of the second part of the support element is the same as the main body material used to form the main body, which allows only the first material and the main body material to be used in the entire printing process, thereby at least simplifying the process steps. In some embodiments, the support element is made of two materials, and the second material of the second part of the support element is different from the main body material used to form the main body.

[0063] At present, the material of the support element is the same as the main body material, which makes it difficult to remove the support element. As an optional embodiment, the length range of the first part corresponding to each of the plurality of support elements is 0.2% to 50% of the total length of the corresponding support element, such as 0.2%-45%, such as 1%-45%, such as 2%-10%, such as 3%-5%.

[0064] As an optional embodiment, the length range of the first part corresponding to each of the plurality of supporting elements is 0.02 mm to 5.00 mm, for example 20 μm-300 μm, for example 20 μm-400 μm, for example 50 μm-400 μm, for example 100 μm-300 μm, for example 150 μm-200 μm.

[0065] As an optional embodiment, the length of the first part of each support element depends on the slice layer thickness, that is, the thickness of each slice layer during the printing process. It can be 1-50 times the slice layer thickness. For example, when the slice software or program sets the layer thickness of the support element to 100 μm, the length of the first part is 100 μm, or 200 μm, or 300 μm, or 400 μm.

[0066] In different printing processes, such as DLP, LCD, SLA or FDM, the support element may have a first portion consisting of a first material that is easy to remove and a second portion consisting of a second material.

[0067] As an optional embodiment, the first material is a water-soluble material or a hot-melt material.

[0068] In some embodiments, the first material can be a water-soluble material or a hot-melt material, which is relatively easy to remove from the main body. By adopting these materials to form the first part, it is convenient to remove the supporting element on the main body.

[0069] As an optional embodiment, the first material is a material that can be corroded or dissolved by a solvent.

[0070] In some embodiments, the first material can be dissolved or corroded by a solvent, so when removing the support element, only the corresponding solvent is needed to remove the support element from the main body, thus ensuring the integrity of the generated main body and reducing the damage to the main body caused by removing the support element.

[0071] As an optional embodiment, the fracture strength of the first material is lower than that of the main material; or the brittleness of the first material is greater than that of the main material; or the hardness of the first material is lower than that of the main material.

[0072] The material of the support element should allow the support element to support the weight of the main body. On this basis, for both fracture and later grinding considerations, the properties of the material of the support element may be advantageous for fracture or removal of the support element. In some embodiments, the tensile strength or fracture strength of the first material is less than the tensile strength or fracture strength of the main body material or the second material, which makes the first part composed of the first material easier to fracture, thereby allowing the fracture point or separation point of the support element to be located on the first part of the support element.

[0073] In some embodiments, the brittleness of the first material is greater than that of the main material or the second material, which makes the first part composed of the first material more likely to break under tensile or impact loads, thereby allowing the breaking point or separation point of the support element to be located on the first part of the support element.

[0074] In some embodiments, most of the support element after breaking is separated from the main body, but a portion of it remains integral with the main body (for example, because the actual breaking point is not necessarily the connection point between the main body and the support element). When using a post-grinding treatment such as sandpaper, the hardness of the first portion of the support element should allow it to be ground and removed. In some embodiments, the hardness of the first portion of the support element is less than the hardness of the main body portion, so that the first portion of the support element is easier to be ground off.

[0075] As an optional embodiment, the main body has a plurality of first engaging portions, and the first portion of each supporting element has a second engaging portion that cooperates with the first engaging portion.

[0076] In some embodiments, the main body has a plurality of first engaging portions, and the plurality of first engaging portions correspond to the plurality of supporting elements one by one, and the plurality of first engaging portions are used to connect with the plurality of supporting elements. The first portions of the plurality of supporting elements also include a second engaging portion that can cooperate with the corresponding first engaging portion. The first engaging portion is combined with the second engaging portion to realize the supporting function of the supporting element on the main body.

[0077] As an optional embodiment, the first engaging portion is a protrusion, and the second engaging portion is a depression; or the first engaging portion is a depression, and the second engaging portion is a protrusion; or the engaging surfaces of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are planes.

[0078] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another printing object of a three-dimensional printing method provided according to an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 6 As shown, the support member extends from the base plate 62 to the body 66. Figure 6 As shown, the main body 66 includes a protrusion 662, and the supporting element 64 includes a recess 641, and the protrusion 662 of the main body 66 is embedded in the recess 641 of the supporting element 64. Figure 6 In another support element diagram shown (see the support element in the center), the support element includes a protrusion 644, and the body 66 includes a recess 664, and the protrusion 644 of the support element is embedded in the recess 664 of the body 66. In some embodiments, the protrusion / recess of the support element and the recess / protrusion of the body are formed in the same slice layer or adjacent slice layers.

[0079] exist Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the support element has a portion embedded in the body 66. In some embodiments, the embedded portion is composed of the body material. In some embodiments, the embedded portion is composed of the support material.

[0080] As an optional embodiment, the first bonding portion and the second bonding portion are formed in the same layer having a slice thickness.

[0081] In some embodiments, when the first joining portion and the second joining portion are joined in a concave-convex form, that is, the first joining portion is a convexity and the second joining portion is a concaveness or the first joining portion is a concaveness and the second joining portion is a convexity, at the junction of the concave and convexity, the same layer of slice data will include both the slice data in the first joining portion and the slice data in the second joining portion, so the first joining portion and the second joining portion are formed in the same layer of slices.

[0082] In some embodiments, the first portion of the support element has a neck or necked section, the cross-sectional area of ​​the neck being smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the remainder of the first portion.When the support element is subjected to, for example, a tensile force, the support element tends to break at the neck.

[0083] In some embodiments, each support element further comprises an end portion, wherein the first portion is between the end portion and the second portion. In some embodiments, the end portion may be formed of a main body material. In some embodiments, the end portion comprises a portion of the support element embedded in the main body. In other words, the end portion is a portion of the support element embedded in the main body, or the portion of the support element embedded in the main body is a part of the end portion. In some embodiments, the color of the end portion is the same as or similar to the color of the main body material. In some embodiments, the color of the end portion is a transparent color.

[0084] In some embodiments, when the plurality of first engaging portions are recessed portions and the second engaging portions are raised portions, it is equivalent to that the supporting element needs to be inserted into the main body. In order to avoid the main body becoming incomplete after the supporting element is removed, the supporting element may include an end portion, wherein the end portion may be formed based on the main body material.

[0085] It should be noted that, except for the first joining portion inserted into the main body, that is, the second joining portion inserted into the recessed portion of the main body, the first part of the supporting element is formed based on the main body material, and other parts can still be printed based on the first material.

[0086] As an optional embodiment, at least an initial thickness of support material is solidified in a support material area, wherein the support material is a first material or a second material; a preset thickness of main material is solidified in a main material area, wherein the preset thickness is greater than the initial thickness; a preset thickness of support material is solidified in a support material area; and a terminal thickness of main material is solidified, wherein the terminal thickness is equal to the initial thickness.

[0087] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an initial state of printing using two materials according to an optional embodiment of the present invention, wherein the forming platform is located above the material tray. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a first state of printing using two materials provided in an optional embodiment of the present invention, namely Figure 8 is based on Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a first state of an embodiment, such as Figure 8As shown, the molding platform can be first moved to the material holding area 120, and then the printed part with a thickness of h1 can be solidified. It can be understood that the solidified part with a thickness of h1 formed at this time represents a supplementary part. The molding platform can be moved, the material tray can be moved, or both can be moved together, that is, the molding platform and the material tray move relative to each other. Preferably, the material holding mechanism and the molding platform move in the X direction or the Y direction (in the horizontal plane of the material tray), and the molding platform also needs to move in the Z direction. The molding platform can directly rise a fixed distance, or it can be a single or multiple compound movement of rising first and then descending, so that the lower surface of the print on the molding platform is at a fixed distance from the material holding area of ​​the material holding mechanism. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a second state of printing using two materials provided in an optional embodiment of the present invention, namely Fig. 9 is based on Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the second state of the embodiment, as Fig. 9 As shown, the solidified portion of the material 1 (eg, the supporting material or the first material) having a thickness of h1 obtained by solidification is separated from the material tray. Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of a third state of printing using two materials according to an optional embodiment of the present invention, namely Fig.10 is based on Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the third state of the embodiment, as Fig.10 As shown, the molding platform can be controlled to move to the top of the material holding area 140, and then the material 2 (for example, the main material) with a thickness of h2 can be solidified, wherein h2 is greater than h1. It can be understood that the solidified portion with a thickness of h2 formed at this time means that the distance between its upper surface and the molding surface of the molding platform is 0, and the distance between its lower surface and the molding surface of the molding platform is h2. In other embodiments, if the solidified portion with a layer thickness of n slices t has been solidified, the solidified portion with a thickness of h2 formed at this time means that the distance between its upper surface and the molding surface of the molding platform is n*t, and the distance between its lower surface and the molding surface of the molding platform is n*t+h2. When solidifying material 2, the solidified portion corresponding to material 1 is in a suspended state relative to the material holding area 2, and will not cause extrusion and damage to the material holding area or the release film in the material holding area. Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of a fourth state of printing using two materials according to an optional embodiment of the present invention, namely Fig.11 is based on Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a fourth state of an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Fig.11 As shown, the solidified portion of the material 2 having a thickness of h2 obtained by solidification can be controlled to be separated from the material tray.

[0088] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of a fifth state of printing using two materials according to an optional embodiment of the present invention, namely Fig.12 is based on Figure 6Schematic diagram of the fifth state of the embodiment. The molding platform can be controlled to move to the top of the material holding area 120, and the distance from the material holding area 120 is h4, and the material 1 with a thickness of h3 is solidified, wherein h4=h1+h3, and h4>h2, h3=h2. It can be understood that the solidified portion with a thickness of h3 formed at this time indicates that the distance between its upper surface and the forming surface of the molding platform is h1, and the distance between its lower surface and the forming surface of the molding platform is h4(h1+h3). In other embodiments, if the solidified portion with a layer thickness of n slices t has been solidified, the solidified portion with a thickness of h3 formed at this time indicates that the distance between its upper surface and the forming surface of the molding platform is n*t+h1, and the distance between its lower surface and the forming surface of the molding platform is n*t+h4. When curing the material 1 with a thickness of h3, the solidified portion composed of material 2 is in a suspended state relative to area A, and therefore, will not cause extrusion (damage) to the material holding area (release film). Fig.13 is a schematic diagram of a sixth state of printing using two materials according to an optional embodiment of the present invention, namely Fig.13 is based on Figure 6 The schematic diagram of the sixth state of the embodiment controls the molding platform to rise so that the solidified part of the material 1 with a thickness of h3 (or a thickness of h4) is peeled off from the material tray. Similar operations can be repeated to print the sliced ​​model. The thickness of each solidification can be a preset thickness, that is, each printing can be a thickness of h3.

[0089] It is understandable that when obtaining the slices of the data model of the three-dimensional object, the slices can be sliced ​​according to actual needs. The slices may include an initial slice layer, a plurality of intermediate slice layers, and an end slice layer. For example, the data model of the three-dimensional object has 500 slice layers, each slice layer is 50 μm thick, and conventional layer-by-layer curing can be used from the 1st layer to the 100th layer, for example, the first material is cured at a faster speed, and the thickness of each curing is 50 μm; then, the aforementioned step curing or alternating curing is used from the 101st layer to the 300th layer, for example, the second material with a thickness of 50 μm is first cured, and then the first material with a thickness of 100 μm is cured, and then the second material with a thickness of 100 μm is cured, and then the first material with a thickness of 100 μm is cured, and the cycle is repeated in this way to complete the step curing or alternating curing from the 101st layer to the 300th layer. Conventional layer-by-layer curing can be used again from the 301st layer to the 500th layer. The layer thickness of the slice and the preset thickness in the alternating curing can be designed.

[0090] In some embodiments, the three-dimensional printing method is applied to any one of a DLP printing device, an LCD printing device, an SLA printing device, or an FDM printing device. Among them, DLP (digital light processing), LCD (liquid crystal display), SLA (stereolithography), and FDM (fused deposition modeling) printing devices are four different types of 3D printing technologies. DLP printing technology uses a digital light processing projector to project a digital light beam into a building tank with a photosensitive resin. By curing the resin layer by layer, the desired 3D printed object is finally formed. LCD printing technology is similar to DLP, but uses a liquid crystal display (LCD) as a light source. SLA (stereolithography) technology is one of the earliest 3D printing technologies. It uses ultraviolet (UV) lasers to cure layer by layer in photosensitive resin. FDM (fused deposition modeling) is the most common 3D printing technology, which forms the desired 3D object by heating the plastic filament, then extruding and curing it layer by layer on the building platform.

[0091] In some embodiments, at least one cartridge or nozzle is provided in the printing device, wherein the at least one cartridge or nozzle is configured to supply at least one of the subject material, the first material, and the second material.

[0092] Among them, the nozzle can provide material and eject the material to perform photocuring printing.

[0093] In some embodiments, the nozzle includes a regulating valve, wherein the regulating valve is used to control the nozzle to supply a material greater than a preset viscosity threshold. However, in some embodiments, since the printing material has a low viscosity and good fluidity, the regulating valve is not necessary.

[0094] In some embodiments, the support element is removed from the body after the body is fully formed.

[0095] When printing is completed, the support elements can be removed from the main body to obtain a complete main body.

[0096] In some embodiments, the body is sanded to remove a portion of the remaining support element.

[0097] It should be noted that, for the above-mentioned method embodiments, for the sake of simplicity, they are all described as a series of action combinations, but those skilled in the art should know that the present invention is not limited by the described action sequence, because according to the present invention, certain steps can be performed in other sequences or simultaneously. Secondly, those skilled in the art should also know that the embodiments described in the specification are all preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily required by the present invention.

[0098] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the three-dimensional printing method according to the above embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, and of course it can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on such an understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk), and includes a number of instructions for enabling a terminal device (which can be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment of the present invention.

[0099] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, a three-dimensional printing device for implementing the above three-dimensional printing method is also provided. Fig.14 is a structural block diagram of a three-dimensional printing device provided according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as Fig.14 As shown, the three-dimensional printing device includes: a first forming module 1402 and a second forming module 1404. The three-dimensional printing device is described below.

[0100] The first forming module 1402 is used to execute corresponding procedures to form a plurality of supporting elements.

[0101] The second forming module 1404 is used to execute the corresponding procedure to form a main body, the main body is composed of a main material, wherein the supporting element is configured to support the main body, and any one of the multiple supporting elements includes a first part close to the main body and a second part away from the main body, the first part is composed of a first material different from the main body material, and the second part is composed of a second material different from the first material.

[0102] It should be noted that the first forming module 1402 and the second forming module 1404 correspond to steps S202 to S204 in the embodiment, and the examples and application scenarios implemented by the multiple modules and the corresponding steps are the same, but are not limited to the contents disclosed in the above embodiment. It should be noted that the above modules, as part of the device, can be run in the computer terminal 10 provided in the embodiment.

[0103] An embodiment of the present invention may provide a computer device. In this embodiment, the computer device may be located in at least one network device among multiple network devices of a computer network. The computer device includes a memory and a processor.

[0104] Among them, the memory can be used to store software programs and modules, such as the program instructions / modules corresponding to the three-dimensional printing method and device in the embodiment of the present invention. The processor executes various functional applications and data processing by running the software programs and modules stored in the memory, that is, realizing the above-mentioned three-dimensional printing method. The memory may include a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. In some instances, the memory may further include a memory remotely arranged relative to the processor, and these remote memories can be connected to the computer terminal via a network. Examples of the above-mentioned network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0105] The processor can call the information and application stored in the memory through the transmission device to perform the following steps: forming multiple supporting elements; and forming a main body, the main body is composed of a main material, wherein the supporting elements are configured to support the main body, and any one of the multiple supporting elements includes a first part close to the main body and a second part away from the main body, the first part is composed of a first material different from the main body material, and the second part is composed of a second material different from the first material.

[0106] In some embodiments, the processor may further execute program code of the following steps: the second material is the same as the main material, or the second material is different from the main material.

[0107] In some embodiments, the processor may further execute program code of the following steps: the first portion or the second portion corresponding to each supporting element has the same length.

[0108] In some embodiments, the processor may further execute program code of the following steps: the length of the first portion of the support element is 1% to 50% of the length of the support element.

[0109] In some embodiments, the processor may further execute program code of the following steps: the length of the first portion corresponding to each supporting element is 0.05 mm to 5.00 mm.

[0110] In some embodiments, the processor may further execute program code of the following steps: setting a slice layer thickness, wherein the length of the first portion of the support element is 1 to 50 times the slice layer thickness.

[0111] In some embodiments, the processor may further execute program code of the following steps: forming a plurality of support elements further comprises forming a bottom plate, and the plurality of support elements extend from the bottom plate to the main body.

[0112] In some embodiments, the processor may further execute program code of the following steps: the first material is a water-soluble material or a hot-melt material.

[0113] In some embodiments, the processor may further execute program code of the following steps: the first material is a material that can be corroded or dissolved by a solvent.

[0114] In some embodiments, the processor may also execute program code of the following steps: the fracture strength of the first material is lower than the fracture strength of the main material; or the brittleness of the first material is greater than the brittleness of the main material; or the hardness of the first material is less than the hardness of the main material.

[0115] In some embodiments, the processor may further execute program code of the following steps: the main body has a plurality of first engaging portions, and the first portion of each supporting element has a second engaging portion that cooperates with the first engaging portion.

[0116] In some embodiments, the processor may also execute program code of the following steps: the first joining portion is a protrusion and the second joining portion is a recess; or the first joining portion is a recess and the second joining portion is a protrusion; or the joining surfaces of the first joining portion and the second joining portion are planes.

[0117] In some embodiments, the processor may further execute program code for the following step: forming the first bonding portion and the second bonding portion in the same layer having a slice thickness.

[0118] In some embodiments, the processor may further execute program code of the following steps: the first portion of the support element has a neck, and a cross-sectional area of ​​the neck is smaller than a cross-sectional area of ​​a remaining portion of the first portion.

[0119] In some embodiments, the processor may further execute program code of the following steps: each support element further includes an end portion, the first portion is between the end portion and the second portion, and the end portion is formed of the main body material.

[0120] In some embodiments, the processor may also execute program code for the following steps: curing at least an initial thickness of support material in a support material region, wherein the support material is a first material or a second material; curing a preset thickness of main material in a main material region, wherein the preset thickness is greater than the initial thickness; curing a preset thickness of support material in a support material region; and curing a terminal thickness of main material, wherein the terminal thickness is equal to the initial thickness.

[0121] In some embodiments, the processor may further execute program code for the following steps: after the main body is completely formed, removing the support element from the main body.

[0122] In some embodiments, the processor may further execute program code for the following steps: grinding the body to remove a portion of the remaining support element.

[0123] In some embodiments, the processor may also execute program code of the following steps: the three-dimensional printing method is applied to a printing device, wherein the printing device includes at least one of the following: a DLP printing device, an LCD printing device, an SLA printing device, and an FDM printing device.

[0124] In some embodiments, the processor may also execute program code of the following steps: at least one box or nozzle is provided in the printing device, wherein the at least one box or nozzle is configured to supply at least one of the main material, the first material and the second material.

[0125] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a three-dimensional printing method is provided, by forming a plurality of supporting elements; and forming a main body, the main body being composed of a main body material, wherein the supporting elements are configured to support the main body, and any one of the plurality of supporting elements includes a first part close to the main body and a second part away from the main body, the first part being composed of a first material different from the main body material, and the second part being composed of a second material different from the first material, so as to facilitate the removal of the supporting material, thereby achieving the technical effect of improving the integrity of the generated printed main body, and further solving the technical problem that the material of the supporting element is the same as the main body material, making it difficult to remove the supporting element.

[0126] A person of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or part of the steps in the various methods of the above embodiments can be completed by instructing the hardware related to the terminal device through a program, and the program can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium, and the storage medium may include: a flash drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc.

[0127] The embodiment of the present invention further provides a non-volatile storage medium. In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium can be used to store the program code executed by the three-dimensional printing method provided by the above embodiment.

[0128] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium may be located in any computer terminal in a computer terminal group in a computer network, or in any mobile terminal in a mobile terminal group.

[0129] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store program code for performing the following steps: forming a plurality of supporting elements; and forming a main body, the main body being composed of a main material, wherein the supporting elements are configured to support the main body, and any one of the plurality of supporting elements includes a first portion close to the main body and a second portion away from the main body, the first portion being composed of a first material different from the main body material, and the second portion being composed of a second material different from the first material.

[0130] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store program code for executing the following steps: the second material is the same as the main material, or the second material is different from the main material.

[0131] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store a program code for executing the following steps: the first portion or the second portion corresponding to each supporting element has the same length.

[0132] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store a program code for executing the following steps: the length of the first portion of the support element is 0.2% to 45% of the length of the support element.

[0133] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store program codes for executing the following steps: the length of the first portion of each supporting element is 0.02 mm to 3.00 mm.

[0134] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store a program code for executing the following steps: setting a slice layer thickness, wherein the length of the first portion of the support element is 1 to 50 times the slice layer thickness.

[0135] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store program code for executing the following steps: forming the plurality of support elements further comprises forming a bottom plate, the plurality of support elements extending from the bottom plate to the main body.

[0136] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store program codes for executing the following steps: the first material is a water-soluble material or a hot-melt material.

[0137] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store a program code for executing the following steps: the first material is a material that can be corroded or dissolved by a solvent.

[0138] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store program code for executing the following steps: the fracture strength of the first material is lower than the fracture strength of the main material; or the brittleness of the first material is greater than the brittleness of the main material; or the hardness of the first material is less than the hardness of the main material.

[0139] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store program codes for executing the following steps: the body has a plurality of first engaging portions, and the first portion of each supporting element has a second engaging portion that cooperates with the first engaging portion.

[0140] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store program codes for performing the following steps: the first bonding portion is a protrusion and the second bonding portion is a recess; or the first bonding portion is a recess and the second bonding portion is a protrusion; or the bonding surfaces of the first bonding portion and the second bonding portion are planes.

[0141] In the present embodiment, the nonvolatile storage medium is configured to store a program code for executing the step of forming the first bonding portion and the second bonding portion in the same layer having a slice thickness.

[0142] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store program code for executing the following steps: the first portion of the support element has a neck, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the neck is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the remaining portion of the first portion.

[0143] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store program code for executing the following steps: each support element further comprises an end portion, the first portion is between the end portion and the second portion, and the end portion is formed of the main body material.

[0144] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store program code for performing the following steps: curing at least an initial thickness of support material in a support material area, wherein the support material is a first material or a second material; curing a preset thickness of main body material in a main body material area, wherein the preset thickness is greater than the initial thickness; curing a preset thickness of support material in a support material area; and curing an end thickness of main body material, wherein the end thickness is equal to the initial thickness.

[0145] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store program code for performing the following steps: after the main body is fully formed, the support element is removed from the main body.

[0146] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store a program code for executing the following steps: grinding the body to remove a portion of the remaining support element.

[0147] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store program code for executing the following steps: the three-dimensional printing method is applied to a printing device, wherein the printing device includes any one of the following: a DLP printing device, an LCD printing device, an SLA printing device, and an FDM printing device.

[0148] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store program code for performing the following steps: at least one box or nozzle is provided in the printing device, wherein the at least one box or nozzle is configured to supply at least one of the main material, the first material and the second material.

[0149] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a computer program product, including a computer program. In this embodiment, when the computer program is executed by a processor, it can achieve: forming a plurality of supporting elements; and forming a main body, the main body being composed of a main body material, wherein the supporting elements are configured to support the main body, and any one of the plurality of supporting elements includes a first part close to the main body and a second part away from the main body, the first part being composed of a first material different from the main body material, and the second part being composed of a second material different from the first material.

[0150] The serial numbers of the above embodiments of the present invention are only for description and do not represent the advantages or disadvantages of the embodiments.

[0151] In the above embodiments of the present invention, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0152] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed technical content can be implemented in other ways. Among them, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units can be a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of units or modules, which can be electrical or other forms.

[0153] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the present embodiment.

[0154] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present invention may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0155] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions to enable a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server or network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, read-only memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), mobile hard disk, magnetic disk or optical disk and other media that can store program codes.

[0156] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional printing method, characterized in that: include: forming a plurality of support elements; and forming a body, the body being composed of a body material, Wherein, the supporting element is configured to support the main body, and at least one of the multiple supporting elements includes at least a first part close to the main body and a second part away from the main body, the first part is composed of a first material different from the main body material, and the second part is composed of a second material different from the first material.

2. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: in, The second material is the same as the main material, or The second material is different from the host material.

3. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first portion or the second portion of each support element has the same length.

4. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The length of the first portion of the support element is 0.2% to 45% of the length of the support element.

5. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The length of the first portion of the supporting element is 0.02 mm to 3.00 mm.

6. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 3, characterized in that: Also includes: The slice layer thickness is set, wherein the length of the first portion of the support element is 1 to 50 times the slice layer thickness.

7. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The forming of the plurality of support elements further comprises forming a bottom plate, wherein the plurality of support elements extend from the bottom plate to the main body.

8. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first material is a water-soluble material or a hot-melt material.

9. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first material is a material that can be eroded or dissolved by a solvent.

10. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: include: The first material has a lower fracture strength than the main body material; or The brittleness of the first material is greater than the brittleness of the main body material; or The hardness of the first material is less than the hardness of the main body material.

11. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main body has a plurality of first engaging portions, and the first portion of each supporting element has a second engaging portion that cooperates with the first engaging portion.

12. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 11, characterized in that: in, The first engaging portion is a projection, and the second engaging portion is a depression; or The first engagement portion is a recess and the second engagement portion is a projection; or A joining surface of the first joining portion and the second joining portion is a flat surface.

13. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 11, characterized in that: Also includes: The first bonding portion and the second bonding portion are formed in the same layer having a slice layer thickness.

14. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first portion of the support element has a neck portion, the cross-sectional area of ​​the neck portion is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the remaining portion of the first portion.

15. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each support element further comprises an end portion, the first portion is between the end portion and the second portion, and the end portion is formed of the main body material.

16. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each support element further comprises an end portion, the first portion is between the end portion and the second portion, and the end portion comprises a portion of the support element embedded in the body.

17. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: solidifying at least an initial thickness of support material in the support material region, wherein the support material is the first material or the second material; Solidifying a preset thickness of the subject material in the subject material region, wherein the preset thickness is greater than the initial thickness; Solidifying the support material of the predetermined thickness in the support material region; and A terminal thickness of the body material is cured, wherein the terminal thickness is equal to the initial thickness.

18. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: After the body is fully formed, the support element is removed from the body.

19. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 18, characterized in that: Also includes: The body is sanded to remove a portion of the remaining support element.

20. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: At least one box or nozzle is provided in the printing device, wherein the at least one box or nozzle is configured to supply at least one of the main material, the first material and the second material.

21. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 19, characterized in that: The three-dimensional printing method is applied to any one of a DLP printing device, an LCD printing device, a SLA printing device or a FDM printing device.

22. A non-volatile storage medium, characterized in that: The non-volatile storage medium includes a program, wherein: The program is configured to execute the three-dimensional printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 20 when executed.

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