3D printing method and printing equipment

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of 3D printing, and discloses a 3D printing method and printing equipment. The 3D printing method comprises the following steps that a plurality of printing nozzles are connected to a linear sliding rail in a sliding mode; the linear sliding rail is arranged on a linear driving assembly, and the linear driving assembly can drive the multiple printing sprayers to slide in the output direction of the linear sliding rail so that the multiple printing sprayers can move to the preset position; the multiple printing nozzles are in communication connection with an operation module, and the operation module is used for operating and adjusting printing tasks and printing parameters; and the multiple printing nozzles are in communication connection with a control system, and the control system is used for monitoring and feeding back the positions of the multiple printing nozzles, the printing material flow and the printing material temperature. According to the method, printing of a plurality of models can be rapidly and accurately completed, so that the printing efficiency and the forming quality of the models are improved. The method is based on the printing equipment, and the convenience of printing work can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of 3D printing, and in particular to a 3D printing method and a printing device. Background Art

[0002] 3D printing technology, also known as additive manufacturing technology, is a technology that uses digital model files as the basis, uses adhesive materials, and constructs objects by printing layer by layer. Traditional 3D printing technology mostly uses a single hot end nozzle extrusion system driven by a stepper motor. This system has low printing speed, poor accuracy, and low flexibility. Especially when dealing with complex models and multiple models, it is prone to problems such as printing smear, poor surface quality, and low production efficiency.

[0003] Therefore, a 3D printing method and printing equipment are urgently needed to solve the above technical problems. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a 3D printing method, so as to quickly and accurately complete the printing of multiple models and complex models, thereby improving the printing efficiency and the molding quality of the model.

[0005] To achieve this object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A 3D printing method, the 3D printing method comprising the following steps:

[0007] S100, slidingly connecting a plurality of printing nozzles to a linear slide rail;

[0008] S200, the linear slide rail is arranged on a linear drive assembly, and the linear drive assembly is capable of driving the plurality of print heads to slide along the output direction of the linear slide rail, so that the plurality of print heads can move to a preset position;

[0009] S300, connecting the plurality of printing nozzles to an operating module for communication, wherein the operating module is used to operate and adjust printing tasks and printing parameters;

[0010] S400, connecting the plurality of printing nozzles to a control system for communication, wherein the control system is used to monitor and provide feedback on the positions, printing material flow rates, and printing material temperatures of the plurality of printing nozzles.

[0011] Preferably, the step S200 further includes:

[0012] S210, the plurality of print heads enter the printing area alternately and in turn, and when one of the print heads in the printing area is working, the other print heads are located in the non-printing area.

[0013] Preferably, in the step S210, the printing materials in the plurality of printing heads are different.

[0014] Preferably, the step S200 further includes:

[0015] S220, the plurality of print heads enter the printing area at the same time, and the plurality of print heads are arranged at intervals in the printing area, and the plurality of print heads work at the same time.

[0016] Preferably, in the step S220, the printing materials in the plurality of printing heads are the same or different.

[0017] Preferably, the step S200 further includes:

[0018] S230, the plurality of printing heads enter the printing area at the same time, and the plurality of printing heads are grouped in pairs in the printing area, and the two printing heads in each group print in a mirror image of each other.

[0019] Preferably, in the step S230, the printing materials in the plurality of printing heads are the same or different.

[0020] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a printing device to improve the convenience of 3D printing.

[0021] To achieve this object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0022] A printing device, wherein the printing method is applied to the printing device, and the printing device comprises:

[0023] A plurality of printing nozzles; a linear slide rail, wherein the plurality of printing nozzles are slidably connected to the linear slide rail via a slider;

[0024] A linear drive assembly, the linear slide rail is arranged on the linear drive assembly, and the linear drive assembly is configured to drive the plurality of print heads to move along the output direction of the linear slide rail;

[0025] A frame, wherein the linear drive assembly is disposed on the frame;

[0026] A printing platform is arranged below the frame, and nozzles of a plurality of printing heads are arranged toward the printing platform.

[0027] Preferably, the frame comprises a plurality of beams arranged at intervals, the linear drive assembly is arranged between every two adjacent beams, and the linear drive assembly can slide along the extension direction of the beams.

[0028] Preferably, the printing platform is disposed between every two adjacent beams, and a non-printing area exists between each printing platform and the beam.

[0029] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0030] The present invention discloses a 3D printing method. The 3D printing method comprises the following steps: S100 slidably connects a plurality of printing nozzles to a linear slide rail; S200 sets the linear slide rail on a linear drive assembly, and the linear drive assembly can drive the plurality of printing nozzles to slide along the output direction of the linear slide rail, so that the plurality of printing nozzles can move to a preset position; S300 connects the plurality of printing nozzles to an operation module for communication, and the operation module is used to operate and adjust the printing task and printing parameters; S400 connects the plurality of printing nozzles to a control system for communication, and the control system is used to monitor and feedback the positions, printing material flow and printing material temperature of the plurality of printing nozzles.

[0031] In this method, multiple print heads are directly driven by a linear drive assembly, which significantly improves the printing speed, and the driving process of multiple print heads is highly stable, the speed of the print heads changes quickly, the positioning accuracy is high, and the moving noise is small, which significantly improves the printing efficiency and printing performance. In addition, the working number of the print heads can be adjusted according to actual needs, thereby improving the efficiency of printing.

[0032] The invention also discloses a printing device. The printing method is applied to the device to improve the convenience of printing work. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 is a flow chart of the 3D printing method provided by the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 It is an isometric view of the printing device provided by the present invention.

[0035] In the figure:

[0036] 10. Print nozzle;

[0037] 20. Linear slides;

[0038] 30. Linear drive assembly;

[0039] 40. Slider;

[0040] 50. frame; 51. beam; 52. connecting rod;

[0041] 60. Printing platform. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is to be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, rather than to limit the present invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only parts related to the present invention, rather than all structures, are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0043] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected", "connected", and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0044] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0045] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper", "lower", "right", etc., directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of description and simplification of operation, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish in the description and have no special meaning.

[0046] Traditional 3D printing uses a stepper motor to drive a single hot end nozzle to complete the work, but this printing method has slow printing speed, low precision and lack of flexibility, resulting in problems such as poor cost and quality, low production efficiency, etc. To solve this problem, a 3D printing method is provided in this embodiment, and the printing method is applied to a 3D printing device, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the method comprises the following steps:

[0047] S100, slidably connecting a plurality of printing nozzles 10 to a linear slide rail 20;

[0048] S200, the linear slide rail 20 is arranged on the linear drive assembly 30, and the linear drive assembly 30 is capable of driving the plurality of print heads 10 to slide along the output direction of the linear slide rail 20, so that the plurality of print heads 10 can move to a preset position;

[0049] S300, connecting the plurality of printing nozzles 10 to the operating module for communication, the operating module being used to operate and adjust the printing task and printing parameters;

[0050] S400, connecting the plurality of print heads 10 to a control system for communication, the control system being used to monitor and provide feedback on the positions of the plurality of print heads 10, the flow rate of printing materials, the temperature of printing materials and the temperature of the print heads 10 themselves.

[0051] In the above method, multiple print heads 10 are directly driven by the linear drive assembly 30 (the linear drive assembly 30 is a linear motor), which significantly improves the printing speed, and the linear motor drives the multiple print heads 10 to move stably, the speed of the print heads 10 changes quickly, the positioning accuracy is high, and the moving noise is small, which significantly improves the printing efficiency and printing performance. In addition, the user can also adjust the number of print heads 10 actually involved in the work according to actual needs, thereby improving the convenience of printing.

[0052] It is worth noting that, in the present embodiment, a plurality of print heads 10 are respectively equipped with independent temperature control units, which can quickly replace different printing materials according to actual needs to ensure printing efficiency. The operation module includes a software interface, and the software interface has a simple user operating system and monitoring function, so that the user can more intuitively set the printing parameters and adjust the printing tasks. In addition, the control module includes a high-performance motion controller, which can monitor the position of the nozzle, the temperature of the printing material, the temperature of the print head 10 itself, and the flow rate of the printing material in real time, and the corresponding parameters can be fed back to the operation module in real time to ensure the stability of the printing work, and the motion controller can accurately adjust the flow rate of the printing material ejected from the print head 10 through the PID control algorithm, thereby improving the printing accuracy and the quality of the printed product.

[0053] Specifically, step S200 also includes:

[0054] S210 Composite printing mode: Multiple print heads 10 enter the printing area alternately, and when one print head 10 in the printing area is working, the other print heads 10 are all in the non-printing area. In this mode, multiple print heads 10 can work in turn, each performing its own function, so that they can each print different parts of the same model to ensure printing efficiency. When one print head 10 is working in the printing area, the linear drive assembly 30 drives the other print heads 10 to the non-printing area, thereby preventing the heated molten material from dripping onto the model, thereby improving the quality of the product.

[0055] It should be noted here that this step is mainly used to print some complex models, which will use a variety of printing materials. Therefore, in step S210, the printing materials in the multiple printing nozzles 10 are different. By setting the printing task through the operation module, the multiple printing nozzles 10 can work one by one in turn, thereby completing the printing work of different material parts in the complex model, which can improve the printing efficiency and printing convenience.

[0056] In addition, step S200 also includes:

[0057] S220 Copy printing mode: multiple print heads 10 enter the printing area at the same time, and multiple print heads 10 are arranged at intervals in the printing area, and multiple print heads 10 work at the same time. In this mode, multiple print heads 10 can be started, worked, and ended at the same time. Therefore, multiple models of the same shape can be printed simultaneously in the printing area. When multiple models of the same shape need to be obtained quickly, this mode can increase the printing speed.

[0058] It should be noted here that in step S220, multiple models of the same shape can be copied simultaneously, but the multiple models can be made of the same material or different materials. Therefore, in step S220, the printing materials in the multiple printing nozzles 10 can be the same or different. It is only necessary to adjust the printing materials in the corresponding printing nozzles 10 according to actual needs.

[0059] In addition, step S200 also includes:

[0060] S230 Mirror printing mode: multiple print heads 10 enter the printing area at the same time, and multiple print heads 10 are grouped in pairs in the printing area, and the two print heads 10 in each group print in a mirror image of each other. In this mode, multiple print heads 10 can be started at the same time, work in a mirror image at the same time, and end at the same time. Therefore, multiple mirror-arranged models can be printed in the printing area at the same time. This further expands the scope of application of the printing method and increases the types of models that can be printed.

[0061] It should be noted here that in step S230, multiple mirror images of models can be printed simultaneously, but each two mirror images of models can be made of the same material or different materials. Therefore, in step S220, the printing materials in the multiple print heads 10 can be the same or different. It is only necessary to adjust the printing materials in the corresponding print heads 10 according to actual needs.

[0062] In summary, the above 3D printing method can greatly improve the printing speed, printing efficiency and surface quality of the printed model.

[0063] In order to facilitate the application of the above 3D printing method, in this embodiment, a printing device is also provided. Figure 2 As shown, the above 3D printing methods are all based on the printing device. Specifically, the printing device includes a plurality of print heads 10, a linear slide 20, a linear drive assembly 30, a frame 50 and a printing platform 60. Among them, the plurality of print heads 10 are slidably connected to the linear slide 20 through a slider 40; the linear slide 20 is arranged on the linear drive assembly 30, and the linear drive assembly 30 is configured to be able to drive the plurality of print heads 10 to move along the output direction of the linear slide 20; the linear drive assembly 30 is arranged on the frame 50; the printing platform 60 is arranged below the frame 50, and the nozzles of the plurality of print heads 10 are all arranged toward the printing platform 60.

[0064] In this printing device, multiple print heads 10 are slidably connected to the linear slide rail 20 through a slider 40, which simplifies the connection structure and improves the convenience of installation. At the same time, the sliding connection method also ensures the smooth movement of the print head 10; the linear drive component 30 is arranged on the frame 50, which can ensure the stability of the linear drive component 30 when driving the multiple print heads 10 to move, thereby improving the printing quality, and the printing platform 60 is arranged below the frame 50, and the nozzles of the multiple print heads 10 are all arranged toward the printing platform 60, which also improves the convenience of printing and also improves the molding quality of the model.

[0065] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown, the frame 50 includes a plurality of beams 51 arranged at intervals, and each two adjacent beams 51 are connected by a connecting rod 52, and a linear drive assembly 30 is arranged between each two adjacent beams 51, and the linear drive assembly 30 can slide along the extension direction of the beam 51. Firstly, this arrangement can further improve the stability of the linear drive assembly 30 while ensuring the overall structural strength; secondly, since the linear drive assembly 30 can slide along the extension direction of the beam 51, it is not necessary to move the printing platform 60 during the printing process, and only the linear drive assembly 30 needs to be moved, thereby avoiding the tilting or collapse of the printed model caused by the moving printing platform 60 and thus ensuring the quality of the finished product.

[0066] It should be noted here that in this embodiment Figure 2 Only two beams 51 and one linear drive assembly 30 are shown, and four print heads 10 are arranged on one linear drive assembly 30. In other embodiments, multiple beams 51 and multiple print heads 10 may also be arranged, thereby further improving the working efficiency.

[0067] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown, a printing platform 60 is provided between each two adjacent beams 51, and a non-printing area exists between each printing platform 60 and the beam 51. That is, the printing platform 60 is the printing area, and the space between the printing platform 60 and the beam 51 is the non-printing area. When working in step S210 (composite printing mode), after a printing nozzle 10 completes its work, it can be directly moved to any end of the linear drive assembly 30. At this time, the printing nozzle 10 is placed in the non-printing area, thereby preventing the molten material at the nozzle of the printing nozzle 10 from dripping onto the printing platform 60. While ensuring the quality of the finished product, it also improves the convenience of the linear drive assembly 30 driving the non-working printing nozzle 10 to move to the non-printing area, thereby increasing the printing rate.

[0068] In summary, based on the printing device, using the above-mentioned 3D printing method can further improve the convenience of operation, thereby further improving the printing speed and molding quality.

[0069] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, various obvious changes, readjustments and substitutions can be made without departing from the protection scope of the present invention. It is not necessary and impossible to list all the embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A 3D printing method, characterized in that: The 3D printing method comprises the following steps: S100, slidably connecting a plurality of printing nozzles (10) to a linear slide rail (20); S200, the linear slide rail (20) is arranged on a linear drive assembly (30), and the linear drive assembly (30) is capable of driving the plurality of print heads (10) to slide along the output direction of the linear slide rail (20), so that the plurality of print heads (10) can move to a preset position; S300, connecting the plurality of printing nozzles (10) to a communication module, wherein the operation module is used to operate and adjust printing tasks and printing parameters; S400, connecting the plurality of printing nozzles (10) to a control system for communication, wherein the control system is used to monitor and provide feedback on the positions, printing material flow rates and printing material temperatures of the plurality of printing nozzles (10).

2. The 3D printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step S200 further includes: S210, the plurality of printing heads (10) enter the printing area in turn, and when one of the printing heads (10) located in the printing area is working, the remaining printing heads (10) are located in the non-printing area.

3. The 3D printing method according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the step S210, the printing materials in the plurality of printing heads (10) are all different.

4. The 3D printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step S200 further includes: S220, the plurality of printing heads (10) enter the printing area at the same time, and the plurality of printing heads (10) are arranged at intervals in the printing area, and the plurality of printing heads (10) work at the same time.

5. The 3D printing method according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the step S220, the printing materials in the plurality of printing heads (10) are the same or different.

6. The 3D printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step S200 further includes: S230: The plurality of printing heads (10) enter the printing area at the same time, and the plurality of printing heads (10) are grouped in pairs in the printing area, and the two printing heads (10) in each group print in a mirror-image manner to each other.

7. The printing method according to claim 6, characterized in that: In the step S230, the printing materials in the plurality of printing heads (10) are the same or different.

8. A printing device, characterized in that: The printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is applied to the printing device, the printing device comprising: A plurality of printing nozzles (10); a linear slide rail (20), wherein the plurality of printing nozzles (10) are slidably connected to the linear slide rail (20) via a slider (40); A linear drive assembly (30), the linear slide rail (20) being arranged on the linear drive assembly (30), the linear drive assembly (30) being configured to be able to drive the plurality of print heads (10) to move along the output direction of the linear slide rail (20); A frame (50), wherein the linear drive assembly (30) is arranged on the frame (50); A printing platform (60) is arranged below the frame (50), and nozzles of a plurality of printing heads (10) are arranged toward the printing platform (60).

9. The printing device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The frame (50) comprises a plurality of cross beams (51) arranged at intervals, the linear drive assembly (30) is arranged between every two adjacent cross beams (51), and the linear drive assembly (30) is capable of sliding along the extension direction of the cross beam (51).

10. The printing device according to claim 9, characterized in that The printing platform (60) is disposed between each two adjacent crossbeams (51), and a non-printing area exists between each printing platform (60) and the crossbeam (51).

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