Three-dimensional printing method and non-volatile storage medium

Abstract

A three-dimensional printing method and a non-volatile storage medium are disclosed. The three-dimensional printing method includes forming a plurality of support elements; and forming a body, the body being composed of a body material, wherein the support elements are configured to support the body, and any one element of the plurality of support elements includes at least a first portion proximate to the body and a second portion distal to the body, the first portion being composed of a first material different from the body material, and the second portion being composed of a second material different from the first material. The three-dimensional printing method is advantageous for separating the support elements from the body.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of 3D printing, and in particular, to a three-dimensional printing method and a non-volatile storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the field of additive manufacturing or three-dimensional printing, an object is obtained by layer-by-layer forming. For some objects, for example, objects having a complex three-dimensional profile, it is often necessary to provide support to avoid the falling of a part of the object. Currently, the material used to form the object and the material used to form the support are usually the same. SUMMARY

[0003] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, 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 proximate to the main body and a second portion distal to 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 some embodiments, the second material is the same as the main body material, or the second material is different from the main body material.

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

[0006] In some embodiments, the length of the first portion of the support element is 0.2% to 45% of the length of the support element.

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

[0008] In some embodiments, a 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, and the plurality of support elements extend from the base plate to the main body.

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

[0011] In some 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 breaking 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, the first portion of each support element has a second engagement portion that cooperates with a first engagement portion.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first engagement portion is a protrusion and the second engagement portion is a recess; or the first engagement portion is a recess and the second engagement portion is a protrusion; or the engagement surface of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion is planar.

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

[0016] In some embodiments, 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 rest of the first portion.

[0017] In some embodiments, each support element further comprises an end portion, the first portion is between the end portion and the second portion, the end portion is composed of the body material.

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

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

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

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

[0023] According to still another aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a non-volatile storage medium is also provided, the non-volatile storage medium comprises a stored program, wherein the device in which the non-volatile storage medium is located executes any one of the three-dimensional printing methods described above when the program is run.

[0024] In the embodiment of the present application, a three-dimensional printing method is adopted, a plurality of support elements are formed; and a main body is formed, the main body is composed of a main body material, wherein the support elements are configured to support the main body, and any one element of the plurality of support elements comprises 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, so as to facilitate the removal of the support material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025] The drawings described herein are intended to provide further understanding of the present application, and constitute a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their description serve to explain the present application, and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present application. 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 A flowchart of a three-dimensional printing method according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

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

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

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

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

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

[0033] Figure 8 A first state schematic diagram of printing using two materials according to an optional embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0034] Figure 9 A second state schematic diagram of printing using two materials according to an optional embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0035] Figure 10 A third state schematic diagram of printing using two materials according to an optional embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0036] Figure 11 is a fourth state diagram for printing using two materials according to an alternative embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 12 is a fifth state diagram for printing using two materials according to an alternative embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 13 is a sixth state diagram for printing using two materials according to an alternative embodiment of the present application;

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

[0040] In order to make the personnel in the technical field better understand the present application scheme, the technical scheme in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in combination with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments. The elements, components or steps in the various embodiments of the present application can be combined arbitrarily without contradiction, and the embodiments formed by the combination are also considered to be disclosed by the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by the person skilled in the art without creative labor should be within the scope of protection of the present application.

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

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

[0043] The method embodiment provided by the first embodiment of the present application can be executed in a mobile terminal, a computer terminal or a similar computing device.Figure 1 A hardware structure block diagram of a computer terminal for implementing a three-dimensional printing method is shown. As shown in Figure 1 The computer terminal 10 can include one or more processors 102a, 102b,..., 102n (the processor can include but 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 can also include a display, an input / output interface (I / O interface), a universal serial bus (USB) port (which can be included as one of the ports of the BUS bus), a network interface, a power supply and / or a camera. Those skilled in the art can understand that Figure 1 The structure shown is only schematic, which does not limit the structure of the above-mentioned electronic device. For example, the computer terminal 10 can include more or less components than those shown in Figure 1 or have a different configuration than that shown in Figure 1 .

[0044] It should be noted that the one or more processors and / or other data processing circuits described above can be referred to herein as "data processing circuits" in general. The data processing circuit can be embodied in whole or in part as software, hardware, firmware or any other combination. In addition, the data processing circuit can be a single independent processing module, or all or part of any one of the other elements combined into the computer terminal 10. As referred to in the embodiments of the present application, the data processing circuit serves as a processor to control (for example, selection of a variable resistance 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 performs various functional applications and data processing by running the software programs and modules stored in the memory 104. The memory 104 can include a high-speed random access memory, and can 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 can further include a memory remotely disposed with respect to the processor, which can be connected to the computer terminal 10 through 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 a combination thereof.

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

[0047] In 3D printing technologies such as Digital Light Processing molding (DLP), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Stereolithography (SLA) and the like, it is often necessary to provide support. The method provided by the present application can be applied to any 3D printing process that requires the provision of support structures.

[0048] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a three-dimensional printing method according to an embodiment of the present application, as shown in Figure 2 The method comprises the following steps:

[0049] Step S202, forming a plurality of support elements.

[0050] Step S204, 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 any one of the plurality of support elements comprises 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.

[0051] The plurality of support elements and the main body can be printed according to the print slice data. The support elements are used to support the main body. In 3D printing, support elements (also known as support structures) are a very important part because they provide additional stability and support for the model during the printing process.

[0052] The print slice data refers to the process of converting a three-dimensional (3D) model into a plurality of data for single-layer printing, which is 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 print slice data, the 3D model can be printed layer by layer, that is, a plurality of support elements and a main body. The main body is the 3D model that the present printing wants to obtain, and the support elements are temporary structures used to support the main body during printing (for example, to prevent printing failure or deformation). In many scenarios, the support elements need to be removed from the main body after printing. The main body is printed based on the main body material, and the main body material can include one or more materials. Each support element includes a first part and a second part, wherein the first part is the support part close to the main body, that is, the part connected to the main body, and the remaining part can be the second part. The first material is a material different from the main body material, which can adopt a special support material, for example, water-soluble, heat-soluble, easy-to-remove rigid material, material that can be dissolved by organic solvents, etc. The selected support material facilitates the subsequent separation of the support elements 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 host material, or the second material is different from the host material. Among them, the second material is other material different from the first material, that is, the second material can be the same as the host material, or can be different from the host material. In some embodiments, "removing the support element" means that the part of the support element close to the host is separated from the host, and does not necessarily mean that any part of the support element is broken. For example, removing the support element only needs to remove the support part (the first part) in contact with the host. For example, the second part of the support element is formed by using the same printing material as the host material first. Then, the target part where the support and the host need to be connected is printed by using, for example, a material easy to remove.

[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 part composed of the support material and the remaining part composed of the host material, which can reduce the cost.

[0056] "Distinct materials" as referred to herein means at least two materials that, once solidified or set, have at least one optical, physical, chemical, and / or mechanical property that is different from one another. 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, setting temperature, glass transition temperature, capacitance, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, electrical resistance, electrical impedance, inductance, magnetic permeability, dielectric constant, elasticity, etc. Non-limiting examples of mechanical properties include yield strength, tensile strength, ductility, etc. Additionally, non-limiting examples of chemical compositions include materials such as photopolymers formed from acrylic resins, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl cinnamate, polyisoprene, polyamides, epoxy resins, polyimides, styrenic block copolymers, nitrile rubber, etc. Furthermore, the photopolymers can or can not contain electrically 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 base plate, and the plurality of support elements extend from the base plate to the host.

[0058] Figure 3 is a first schematic diagram of a printed object according to a three-dimensional printing method provided by an optional embodiment of the present application, as shown in Figure 3 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 host 36. In the printing process, the support element 34 is formed first, and then the host 36 integrated with the support element 34 is formed. In some embodiments, the support element 34 further includes a base plate 32, for example, having a flat surface, to be well adhered to the platform 31. In some embodiments, the support element 34 is formed by using the same material as the host 36, or the support element 34 is formed by using a material different from the host 36. Figure 3In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of support elements 34 is located between the base plate 32 and the body 36, and the plurality of (e.g., at least two) support elements 34 has different lengths, which depends, for example, on the profile shape of the support surface 362 of the body 36 to which the support element corresponds. The support surface 362 is the surface of the body 36 facing the support element 34. In some embodiments, the support surface 362 can be a flat surface, allowing for a plurality of support elements 34 of the same length or height. Similarly, the support surface 362 can be a curved surface, allowing for a plurality of support elements 34 of different lengths or heights.

[0059] As an optional embodiment, the first portion or the second portion of each support element has the same length.

[0060] Figure 4 is a second schematic view of a printed object of a three-dimensional printing method according to an optional embodiment of the present application, in which Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, each of the plurality of support elements 34 comprises a first portion 342 proximal to the body 36 and a second portion 344 distal to the body. The first portion 342 is composed of a first material, and the second portion 344 is composed of a second material different from the first material. In Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the first portion 342 of the plurality of support elements 34 (enclosed by the dashed line and the support surface 362) has the same length. Figure 4

[0061] Figure 5 is a third schematic view of a printed object of a three-dimensional printing method according to an optional embodiment of the present application, in which Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, each of the plurality of support elements 34 comprises a first portion 346 proximal to the body 36 and a second portion 348 distal to the body. The first portion 342 is composed of a first material, and the second portion 344 is composed of a second material different from the first material. In Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the second portion 348 of the plurality of support elements 34 (enclosed by the dashed line) has the same length. Figure 5

[0062] In the illustrated embodiment, the second portion 348 of the plurality of support elements 34 (enclosed by the dashed line) has the same length. Figure 4 and Figure 5 ​​In the illustrated embodiment, the first portions 342, 346 are formed of a different material than the second portions 344, 348. The material of the first portions 342, 346 is selected for a variety of purposes. For example, to more easily separate the first portions from the body, the first material of the first portions 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 is noted that when the support elements are processed to separate the first portions from the body, the body is not or substantially not damaged, but only the support elements are destroyed. In some embodiments, the support elements are formed of two materials, and the second material of the second portions of the support elements is the same as the body material used to form the body, which allows only the first material and the body material to be used throughout the printing process, thereby simplifying at least the process steps. In some embodiments, the support elements are formed of two materials, and the second material of the second portions of the support elements is different than the body material used to form the body.

[0063] The current use of the same material for the support elements as for the body makes it difficult to remove the support elements. As an alternative embodiment, the first portions of the plurality of support elements each correspond to a length in the range of 0.2% to 50% of the total length of the corresponding support element, such as 0.2% to 45%, such as 1% to 45%, such as 2% to 10%, such as 3% to 5%.

[0064] As an alternative embodiment, the first portions of the plurality of support elements each correspond to a length in the range of 0.02 mm to 5.00 mm, such as 20 μm to 300 μm, such as 20 μm to 400 μm, such as 50 μm to 400 μm, such as 100 μm to 300 μm, such as 150 μm to 200 μm.

[0065] As an alternative embodiment, the length of the first portion of each support element is dependent on the slice layer thickness, i.e., the thickness of each slice in the printing process. It can be in the range of 1 to 50 times the slice layer thickness. For example, when the slicing software or program sets the layer thickness of the support elements to 100 μm, the length of the first portion 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 elements can have a first portion of an easily removable first material and a second portion of a second material.

[0067] As an alternative 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 are relatively easy to remove from the body. By using these materials to form the first portion, it is easier to remove the support element from the body.

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

[0070] In some embodiments, the first material can be dissolved or eroded by a solvent, so that when the support element is removed, only the corresponding solvent is needed to remove the support element from the body, which well guarantees the integrity of the generated body. Reducing the damage to the body when removing the support element.

[0071] As an optional embodiment, the first material has a lower breaking strength than the body material; or the first material has a greater brittleness than the body material; or the first material has a lower hardness than the body material.

[0072] The material of the support element should allow the support element to support the weight of the body. On this basis, the properties of the material of the support element are optionally conducive to the breaking or removal of the support element, taking into account both breaking and later polishing. In some embodiments, the tensile strength or breaking strength of the first material is lower than that of the body material or the second material, which makes the first portion formed by the first material more prone to breaking, thereby allowing the breaking point or separation point of the support element to be located on the first portion of the support element.

[0073] In some embodiments, the brittleness of the first material is greater than that of the body material or the second material, which makes the first portion formed by the first material more prone to breaking under tensile or impact load, thereby allowing the breaking point or separation point of the support element to be located on the first portion of the support element.

[0074] In some embodiments, most of the broken support element is separated from the body, but part of it remains integrated with the body (for example, because the actual breaking point is not necessarily the connection point of the body and the support element). When using polishing post-processing such as sandpaper, the hardness of the first portion of the support element should allow it to be polished and removed. In some embodiments, the hardness of the first portion of the support element is lower than that of the body portion, making the first portion of the support element more easily ground off.

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

[0076] In some embodiments, the body has a plurality of first engagement portions therein, and the plurality of first engagement portions correspond one-to-one to the plurality of support elements, and the plurality of first engagement portions are configured to connect to the plurality of support elements. The first portion of the plurality of support elements also includes a second engagement portion configured to mate with the corresponding first engagement portion. The first engagement portion and the second engagement portion combine to provide support of the body by the support element.

[0077] As an optional embodiment, the first engagement portion is a protrusion and the second engagement portion is a recess; or the first engagement portion is a recess and the second engagement portion is a protrusion; or the engagement surfaces of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are planar.

[0078] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another printing of an object according to a three-dimensional printing method of an optional embodiment of the present application, as Figure 6 shown, the support element extends from the base plate 62 to the body 66. As Figure 6 shown, the body 66 includes a protrusion 662 and the support element 64 includes a recess 641, and the protrusion 662 of the body 66 is embedded in the recess 641 of the support element 64. In Figure 6 another support element diagram (see the support element in the middle), 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] In Figure 6 the embodiment shown, the support element has a portion embedded in the body 66. In some embodiments, the embedded portion is composed of the material of the body. In some embodiments, the embedded portion is composed of the material of the support.

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

[0081] In some embodiments, when the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are engaged in a concave-convex form, i.e., the first engagement portion is a protrusion and the second engagement portion is a recess or the first engagement portion is a recess and the second engagement portion is a protrusion, the same layer slice data includes both the slice data of the first engagement portion and the slice data of the second engagement portion at the interface of the concave-convex, so the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are formed in the same layer slice.

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

[0083] In some embodiments, each support element further comprises an end portion, the first portion being between the end portion and the second portion. In some embodiments, the end portion can be made of the host material. In some embodiments, the end portion comprises the portion of the support element embedded in the host. In other words, the end portion is the portion of the support element embedded in the host, or, the portion of the support element embedded in the host is part of the end portion. In some embodiments, the color of the end portion is the same or similar to the color of the host material. In some embodiments, the color of the end portion is transparent.

[0084] In some embodiments, when the plurality of first engagement portions are recessed portions, and the second engagement portions are protruding portions. In this case, it is equivalent to the support element needs to be inserted into the host. In order to avoid the host becoming incomplete after the support element is removed, the support element can comprise an end portion, wherein the end portion can be formed based on the host material.

[0085] It should be noted that the first portion of the support element, in addition to being inserted into the host at the first engagement portion, that is, the second engagement portion of the recessed portion inserted into the host, can still be printed based on the first material.

[0086] As an optional embodiment, solidifying the support material in the support material region at least an initial thickness, wherein the support material is the first material or the second material; solidifying the host material in the host material region at a preset thickness, wherein the preset thickness is greater than the initial thickness; solidifying the support material in the support material region at the preset thickness; and solidifying the host material at an end thickness, wherein the end 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 application, wherein the forming platform is above the tray. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a first state of printing using two materials according to an optional embodiment of the present application, that is, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a first state according to Figure 7 embodiment of the present application, as Figure 8As shown, the forming platform can be moved to the material holding area 120 first, and then a printed portion with a thickness of h1 is cured. It can be understood that the cured portion with a thickness of h1 at this time represents the supplementary portion. The forming platform can be moved, the material tray can be moved, or both can be moved together, i.e., relative movement between the forming platform and the material tray. Preferably, the material holding mechanism and the forming platform move in the X or Y direction (in the horizontal plane of the material tray), and the forming platform also needs to move in the Z direction. The forming platform can rise directly a fixed distance, or it can undergo a single or multiple compound movements of rising first and then falling, ultimately making the lower surface of the printed part on the forming platform a fixed distance from the material holding area of ​​the material holding mechanism. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a second state of printing using two materials according to an optional embodiment of the present invention, namely... Figure 9 It is based on Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the second state of the embodiment, as shown below. Figure 9 As shown, the cured portion of material 1 (e.g., support material or first material) with a thickness of h1 is separated from the tray. Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a third state of printing using two materials according to an optional embodiment of the present invention, namely... Figure 10 It is based on Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the third state of the embodiment, as shown below. Figure 10 As shown, the molding platform can be controlled to move above the material holding area 140, and then material 2 (e.g., the main material) with a thickness of h2 is cured, where h2 is greater than h1. It can be understood that the cured portion with a thickness of h2 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 a cured portion with a thickness of n slice layers t has already been cured, then the cured portion with a thickness of h2 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 curing material 2, the cured portion corresponding to material 1 is suspended relative to the material holding area 2, and will not cause compression or damage to the material holding area or the release film in the material holding area. Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a fourth state of printing using two materials according to an optional embodiment of the present invention, namely... Figure 11 It is based on Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the fourth state of the embodiment, as shown below. Figure 11 As shown, the cured portion of material 2 with a thickness of h2 obtained by curing can be controlled to separate from the material tray.

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

[0089] Understandably, when obtaining slices from a 3D object's data model, slicing can be performed according to actual needs. Slicing can include an initial slice layer, multiple intermediate slice layers, and an end slice layer. For example, if a 3D object's data model has 500 slice layers, each 50 μm thick, conventional layer-by-layer curing can be used for layers 1 to 100, such as curing the first material at a relatively fast speed, with each curing thickness being 50 μm. Then, for layers 101 to 300, the aforementioned stepped or alternating curing can be used, for example, first curing a 50 μm thick second material, then curing a 100 μm thick first material, then curing a 100 μm thick second material, then curing a 100 μm thick first material, and so on, to complete the stepped or alternating curing from layers 101 to 300. Conventional layer-by-layer curing can be used again for layers 301 to 500. The layer thickness of the slices 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 (Stereo Lithography), 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 build tank with photosensitive resin. By solidifying the resin layer by layer, the desired 3D printed object is finally formed. The 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) laser to solidify 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 plastic filaments and then extruding and solidifying layer by layer on the build 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 host material, the first material, and the second material.

[0092] The nozzle can provide the material to spray the material out for light-cured 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 with a viscosity greater than a preset viscosity threshold. However, in some embodiments, the regulating valve is not necessary because the printing material has a low viscosity and good flowability.

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

[0095] When the printing is completed, the support element can be removed from the host to obtain a complete host.

[0096] In some embodiments, the host is polished to remove a portion of the residual support element.

[0097] It should be noted that for the foregoing method embodiments, in order to simply describe, they are all expressed as a combination of a series of actions, but those skilled in the art should know that the present application is not limited by the order of the described actions, because according to the present application, certain steps can be performed in other order or simultaneously. Secondly, those skilled in the art should know that the embodiments described in the specification are all preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily necessary for the present application.

[0098] Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the three-dimensional printing method according to the above embodiments can be realized by means of software and necessary general hardware platforms, and of course, it can also be realized by hardware, but in many cases, the former is a better embodiment. Based on such understanding, the technical solutions of the present application 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 plurality of instructions for causing a terminal device (which can be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device) to execute the method described in each embodiment of the present application.

[0099] According to an optional embodiment of the present application, a three-dimensional printing device for implementing the three-dimensional printing method is also provided, Figure 14 is a structural block diagram of the three-dimensional printing device provided by the embodiment of the present application, as Figure 14 shown, the three-dimensional printing device includes a first forming module 1402 and a second forming module 1404, which will be described below.

[0100] The first forming module 1402 is configured to execute a corresponding program to form a plurality of support elements.

[0101] The second forming module 1404 is configured to execute a corresponding program to form a main body, and the main body is composed of a main body material, wherein the support elements are configured to support the main body, and any one of the plurality of support 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 plurality of modules have the same instances and application scenarios as the corresponding steps, but are not limited to the content disclosed in the above embodiments. It should be noted that the above modules as part of the device can run in the computer terminal 10 provided in the embodiment.

[0103] The embodiment of the present application can provide a computer device, and in the embodiment, the computer device can be located in at least one network device of a plurality of network devices of a computer network. The computer device includes a memory and a processor.

[0104] 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 embodiments of the present application. The processor executes the software programs and modules stored in the memory to perform various functions and data processing, i.e., to implement the three-dimensional printing method described above. The memory can include a high-speed random access memory, and can also include a non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memories, or other non-volatile solid-state memories. In some examples, the memory can further include a memory remotely arranged with respect to the processor, which can be connected to the computer terminal through a network. Examples of the network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and a combination thereof.

[0105] The processor can call the information and application programs stored in the memory through the transmission device to perform the following steps: forming a plurality of support elements; and forming a main body composed of a main body material, wherein the support elements are configured to support the main body, and any one element of the plurality of support 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 can further execute program codes of the following steps: the second material is the same as the main body material, or the second material is different from the main body material.

[0107] In some embodiments, the processor can further execute program codes of the following steps: the first part or the second part corresponding to each support element has the same length.

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

[0109] In some embodiments, the processor can further execute program codes of the following steps: the length of the first part corresponding to each support element is 0.05mm to 5.00mm.

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

[0111] In some embodiments, the processor can further execute program codes of the following steps: forming a plurality of support elements further includes 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 can further execute program codes of the following steps: the first material is a water-soluble material or a hot melt material.

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

[0114] In some embodiments, the processor can further execute program code of the following steps: the first material has a lower fracture strength than the host material; or the first material has a greater brittleness than the host material; or the first material has a lower hardness than the host material.

[0115] In some embodiments, the processor can further execute program code of the following steps: the host has a plurality of first engagement portions, and each first portion of the support element has a second engagement portion that cooperates with the first engagement portion.

[0116] In some embodiments, the processor can further execute program code of the following steps: the first engagement portion is a protrusion and the second engagement portion is a recess; or the first engagement portion is a recess and the second engagement portion is a protrusion; or the engagement surface of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion is planar.

[0117] In some embodiments, the processor can further execute program code of the following steps: the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are formed in the same layer having a slice thickness.

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

[0119] In some embodiments, the processor can further execute program code of the following steps: each support element further comprises an end portion, the first portion being between the end portion and the second portion, and the end portion being composed of the host material.

[0120] In some embodiments, the processor can further execute program code of the following steps: solidifying the support material in the support material region to at least an initial thickness, wherein the support material is the first material or the second material; solidifying the host material in the host material region to a predetermined thickness, wherein the predetermined thickness is greater than the initial thickness; solidifying the support material in the support material region to the predetermined thickness; and solidifying the host material to an end thickness, wherein the end thickness is equal to the initial thickness.

[0121] In some embodiments, the processor can further execute program code of the following steps: after the host is completely formed, removing the support element from the host.

[0122] In some embodiments, the processor can further execute program code of the following steps: polishing the host to remove a portion of the residual support element.

[0123] In some embodiments, the processor can further execute program codes of the following steps: the three-dimensional printing method is applied to a printing device, wherein the printing device comprises 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 can further execute program codes of the following steps: 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 following: the bulk material, the first material, and the second material.

[0125] With the embodiments of the present application, a three-dimensional printing method is provided, which comprises the following steps: forming a plurality of support elements; and forming a bulk, which is composed of a bulk material, wherein the support elements are configured to support the bulk, and any one of the plurality of support elements comprises a first part close to the bulk and a second part away from the bulk, the first part is composed of a first material different from the bulk material, and the second part is composed of a second material different from the first material, so as to facilitate the removal of the support material, thereby achieving the technical effect of improving the integrity of the generated printing bulk, and further solving the technical problem that the support elements are difficult to remove because the material of the support elements is the same as the bulk material.

[0126] Those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the steps in the above-mentioned 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, which can include a flash disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc.

[0127] The embodiments of the present application further provide a non-volatile storage medium. In the present embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium can be used to save the program codes executed by the three-dimensional printing method provided by the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0128] In the present embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium can be located in any one of the computer terminals in the computer terminal group in the computer network, or in any one of the mobile terminals in the mobile terminal group.

[0129] In the present embodiment, the non-transitory storage medium is arranged to store program code for causing a computer to execute the steps of: forming a plurality of support elements; and forming a body, the body being composed of a body material, wherein the support elements are configured to support the body, and any one of the plurality of support elements comprises a first portion proximal to the body and a second portion distal to the body, the first portion being composed of a first material different from the body material, and the second portion being composed of a second material different from the first material.

[0130] In the present embodiment, the non-transitory storage medium is arranged to store program code for causing a computer to execute the steps of: the second material being the same as the body material, or the second material being different from the body material.

[0131] In the present embodiment, the non-transitory storage medium is arranged to store program code for causing a computer to execute the steps of: the first portion or the second portion of each support element having the same length.

[0132] In the present embodiment, the non-transitory storage medium is arranged to store program code for causing a computer to execute the steps of: the length of the first portion of the support element being 0.2% to 45% of the length of the support element.

[0133] In the present embodiment, the non-transitory storage medium is arranged to store program code for causing a computer to execute the steps of: the length of the first portion of each support element being 0.02 mm to 3.00 mm.

[0134] In the present embodiment, the non-transitory storage medium is arranged to store program code for causing a computer to execute the steps of: setting a slice thickness, wherein the length of the first portion of the support element is 1 to 50 times the slice thickness.

[0135] In the present embodiment, the non-transitory storage medium is arranged to store program code for causing a computer to execute the steps of: forming the plurality of support elements further comprises forming a base plate, and the plurality of support elements extend from the base plate to the body.

[0136] In the present embodiment, the non-transitory storage medium is arranged to store program code for causing a computer to execute the steps of: the first material being a water-soluble material or a hot-melt material.

[0137] In the present embodiment, the non-transitory storage medium is arranged to store program code for causing a computer to execute the steps of: the first material being a material that can be eroded or dissolved by a solvent.

[0138] In the present embodiment, the non-transitory storage medium is arranged to store program code for causing a computer to execute the steps of: the first material having a lower breaking strength than the body material; or the first material having a greater brittleness than the body material; or the first material having a lower hardness than the body material.

[0139] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is arranged to store program code for performing the following steps: the body has a plurality of first engagement portions, the first portion of each support element has a second engagement portion that cooperates with a first engagement portion.

[0140] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is arranged to store program code for performing the following steps: the first engagement portion is a protrusion and the second engagement portion is a recess; or the first engagement portion is a recess and the second engagement portion is a protrusion; or the engagement surface of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion is planar.

[0141] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is arranged to store program code for performing the following steps: the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are formed in the same layer having a slice thickness.

[0142] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is arranged to store program code for performing the following steps: 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 rest of the first portion.

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

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

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

[0146] In this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is arranged to store program code for performing the following steps: polishing the body to remove a portion of the residual support element.

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

[0148] In the present embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is arranged to store program code for performing the steps of providing at least one cartridge or printhead in a printing device, wherein the at least one cartridge or printhead is configured to supply at least one of a host material, a first material and a second material.

[0149] The present embodiment also provides a computer program product comprising a computer program which, when executed by a processor, can implement: forming a plurality of support elements; and forming a host body, the host body being composed of a host material, wherein the support elements are configured to support the host body, and any one of the plurality of support elements comprises a first portion proximal to the host body and a second portion distal to the host body, the first portion being composed of a first material different from the host material, and the second portion being composed of a second material different from the first material.

[0150] The above-mentioned embodiment numbers of the present application are only for description, and do not represent the advantages or disadvantages of the embodiments.

[0151] In the above-mentioned embodiments of the present application, the description of each embodiment has its own focus, and the parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment can be referred to the relevant description of other embodiments.

[0152] In several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed technical contents can be implemented by other ways. Among them, the above-mentioned device embodiments are only schematic, for example, the division of the units can be a logical function division, and actual implementation can have another division way, for example, a plurality of units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the units or modules shown or discussed can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, units or modules, which can be electrical or other forms.

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

[0154] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated in one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically, or two or more units can be integrated in one unit. The above integrated unit can be realized in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional unit.

[0155] The integrated unit, if implemented in the form of a software function unit and sold or used as an independent product, can be stored in a nonvolatile storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solutions of the present application, essentially or in part, or all or part of the technical solutions, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including several instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present application. 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 various media that can store program codes.

[0156] The above description is only the preferred embodiments of the present application, and it should be pointed out that for ordinary skilled in the art, without departing from the principles of the present application, a number of improvements and refinements can be made, and these improvements and refinements should be considered as the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional printing method for forming a printed object by layer-by-layer curing, characterized in that, The printed object includes a plurality of support elements and a body, the support elements being configured to support the body, and at least one of the plurality of support elements including at least a first portion proximate to the body and a second portion distal to the body, comprising: A second portion, located away from the main body, is formed by using a second material to create multiple supporting elements; A first portion near the main body is formed by a first material in a first tray to create multiple support elements; and The body is formed by the main material in the second tray, wherein the first part is composed of a first material different from the main material, the second part is composed of a second material different from the first material, and the first material, the main material, and the second material are photopolymers that can be cured by light projected by a DLP printing device or an LCD printing device, and the second material is the same as the main material; The first material is configured according to any one of the following: The first material is a water-soluble material; The first material is a thermoplastic material; The fracture strength of the first material is lower than that of the main material; The brittleness of the first material is greater than that of the main material; or The hardness of the first material is less than the hardness of the main material; The main body and the second part of the multiple support elements are separated by erosion, dissolution or breakage of the first part of the multiple support elements.

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

3. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The length of the first part of the support element is 0.2% to 45% of the length of the support element.

4. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The length of the first part of the support element is 0.02mm to 3.00mm.

5. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 2, 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.

6. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The formation of the plurality of support elements further includes forming a base plate, the plurality of support elements extending from the base plate to the body.

7. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body has a plurality of first engagement portions, and each support element has a first portion having a second engagement portion that mates with the first engagement portions.

8. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 7, characterized in that, in, The first joint portion is a protrusion, and the second joint portion is a recess; or The first joint portion is recessed, and the second joint portion is protruding; or The joint surfaces of the first joint portion and the second joint portion are planes.

9. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: A first joint portion and a second joint portion are formed in the same layer having a slice layer thickness.

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

11. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each support element further includes an end portion, with the first portion located between the end portion and the second portion, the end portion being made of the main body material.

12. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each support element further includes an end portion, the first portion being between the end portion and the second portion, the end portion including a portion of the support element embedded in the body.

13. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A support material of at least initial thickness is cured in the support material region, wherein the support material is a first material or a second material; A predetermined thickness of the main material is cured in the main material region, wherein the predetermined thickness is greater than the initial thickness; The support material of the predetermined thickness is cured in the support material region; and The body material with a cured end thickness, wherein the end thickness is equal to the initial thickness.

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

15. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 14, characterized in that, Also includes: The body is polished to remove a portion of the remaining support elements.

16. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The printing device provides at least one cartridge, wherein the at least one cartridge is configured to supply at least one of the body material, the first material, and the second material.

17. A non-volatile storage medium, characterized in that, The non-volatile storage medium includes a program, wherein the program is configured to execute the 3D printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 16 at runtime.

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