Printing forming equipment and printing method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of 3D printing, and provides printing forming equipment and a printing method.The printing forming equipment comprises a curing tank, an oxygen supply assembly, a projection assembly and a printing platform. The curing groove is used for containing a light curing material, and an oxygen permeable film is arranged at the bottom of the curing groove and has light transmission and oxygen permeability. The oxygen supply assembly is used for supplying oxygen into the curing groove through the oxygen permeation thin film so that a curing inhibition layer can be formed above the oxygen permeation thin film, and a printing interface can be formed above the curing inhibition layer. The projection assembly is arranged below the curing groove. And the printing platform is arranged above the curing tank in a lifting manner. According to the projection assembly, the oxygen supply assembly supplies oxygen into the curing groove through the oxygen permeation film to form the liquid curing inhibition layer, and the curing inhibition layer can separate the printing interface from the oxygen permeation film, so that the curing structure cannot make contact with the oxygen permeation film, the curing structure does not need to be stripped after curing of the single-layer structure is completed, and continuous printing curing is achieved; and the printing efficiency is higher.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In the prior art, the model of the object to be printed is usually sliced ​​and layered so as to control the light source to cure the light-curing material in the curing tank layer by layer. Specifically, the light source is arranged below the curing tank, a printing platform is arranged above the curing tank, and the light-curing material is placed in the curing tank.

[0003] During printing and forming, the printing platform is close to the bottom of the groove, and the light source is controlled to project light to the photocurable material between the bottom of the groove and the printing platform to cure it, so as to form a first layer of cured structure on the printing platform. Then the printing platform is controlled to rise so that the first layer of cured layer is separated from the bottom of the groove; the light source is controlled to cure at the bottom of the first layer of cured layer to form a second layer of cured structure, and then the printing platform is controlled to rise so that the second layer of cured structure is separated from the bottom of the groove, and the above process is repeated until printing is completed.

[0004] From the above, it can be seen that in the layered printing process, after each layer of the solidified structure is formed, it is necessary to first control the printing platform to separate the bottom of the groove and the solidified structure, and then adjust the printing platform to the corresponding height of the next layer of the structure to be solidified. The printing process cannot be carried out continuously, affecting the printing efficiency; at the same time, in order to reduce the stress deformation of the solidified layer during the separation process, a layer of translucent release film is usually laid on the bottom of the groove. The adhesion between the release film and the solidified structure is small and easy to separate, but the release film is prone to aging after long-term use, affecting the printing effect. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention provides a printing and molding device and a printing method, which are used to solve the defect in the prior art that when printing layer by layer, after the single-layer structure is solidified, the groove bottom and the solidified structure need to be separated from each other, resulting in the inability to continuously carry out the printing process and affecting the printing efficiency.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a printing and forming device, comprising: A curing tank, the curing tank is used to accommodate the light-curing material, and an oxygen-permeable film is provided at the bottom of the curing tank, and the oxygen-permeable film has light permeability and oxygen permeability; an oxygen supply component, the oxygen supply component being used to supply oxygen into the curing tank through the oxygen permeable film, so as to form a curing inhibition layer above the oxygen permeable film, and to form a printing interface above the curing inhibition layer; A projection assembly, the projection assembly being disposed below the curing tank and configured to emit light into the curing tank according to the shape of the object to be printed, so as to form a curing area of ​​a corresponding shape on the printing interface; A printing platform is movably disposed above the curing tank, and is used to contact the photocurable material at the printing interface to fix an object formed after the photocurable material is cured.

[0007] According to the printing and forming equipment of the present invention, the oxygen supply component includes an oxygen supply chamber and an oxygen supply device; The oxygen supply chamber is installed at the bottom of the curing tank, and the oxygen supply chamber and the oxygen permeable film together form an oxygen supply cavity; the bottom of the oxygen supply cavity is a light-transmitting plate; The oxygen supply device is communicated with the oxygen supply cavity so as to introduce oxygen into the oxygen supply cavity.

[0008] According to the printing and molding equipment of the present invention, the oxygen supply device includes an oxygen concentrator, an oxygen supply pipeline and a control valve; The oxygen concentrator is connected to the oxygen supply chamber through the oxygen supply pipeline, and the control valve is arranged on the oxygen supply pipeline to control the oxygen flow in the oxygen supply pipeline.

[0009] According to the printing and forming device of the present invention, the oxygen-permeable film is an elastic film, and the oxygen-permeable film can be deformed in the vertical direction under the driving of the air pressure of the oxygen supply chamber; The oxygen supply assembly further includes: a first pressure sensor, which is disposed in the oxygen supply cavity and is used to detect the air pressure in the oxygen supply cavity; The first pressure sensor is communicatively connected to the control valve, and the control valve is used to control the flow of oxygen entering the oxygen supply chamber according to the air pressure in the oxygen supply chamber.

[0010] According to the printing and forming device of the present invention, the oxygen supply component further comprises a second pressure sensor; the second pressure sensor is communicatively connected with the control valve; The first pressure sensor is disposed on a side of the oxygen permeable film facing the oxygen supply chamber, and is used to monitor the oxygen pressure below the oxygen permeable film; The second pressure sensor is disposed on a side of the oxygen-permeable film facing the curing tank, and is used to monitor the oxygen pressure above the oxygen-permeable film.

[0011] According to the printing and forming device of the present invention, there are a plurality of first pressure sensors, and the plurality of first pressure sensors are arranged at intervals along the edge of the oxygen-permeable film; And / or, there are a plurality of second pressure sensors, and the plurality of second pressure sensors are arranged at intervals along the edge of the oxygen-permeable film.

[0012] The printing and molding device according to the present invention further includes a vibration device, which is arranged in the curing tank and is used to drive the tank wall of the curing tank to vibrate so as to drive the light-curing material to flow.

[0013] The printing and molding device according to the present invention further includes a curing material supply system, wherein the curing material supply system includes a feeding device and a liquid level monitoring device; The liquid level monitoring device is disposed in the curing tank and is used to detect the liquid level height of the photocurable material in the curing tank; The feeding device is communicatively connected to the liquid level monitoring device, and the feeding device is used to introduce the light-curing material into the curing tank.

[0014] According to the printing and molding device of the present invention, the projection assembly includes a light source and a liquid crystal panel, the liquid crystal panel is arranged below the curing tank, and the light source is arranged below the liquid crystal panel; The light source is used to emit light to the liquid crystal panel, and the liquid crystal panel is used to adjust the shape of the light-transmitting area on the liquid crystal panel according to the shape of the object to be printed, so as to adjust the shape of the curing area formed on the printing interface after the light passes through the liquid crystal panel.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides a printing method of the printing forming device according to any one of the above items, comprising: The photocurable material is introduced into the curing tank, and oxygen is supplied into the curing tank through the oxygen-permeable film at the bottom of the curing tank to form the curing inhibition layer and the printing interface; Controlling the printing platform to descend to the printing interface; According to the shape of the object to be printed, the projection assembly is controlled to project light on the printing interface to form a curing area of ​​a corresponding shape, and the printing platform is controlled to rise until printing is completed.

[0016] The printing and molding device of the present invention provides a curing tank to accommodate the photocurable material, and the oxygen-permeable film at the bottom of the curing tank can allow the projection component below to emit light into the curing tank to cure the photocurable material in the curing tank; a printing platform is provided as a base for printing objects, which descends to the printing interface at the beginning of printing, so that the initially cured structure can be fixed on the printing platform, and gradually rises during the subsequent printing process to cooperate with the projection component to realize layer-by-layer printing of the object to be printed; at the same time, an oxygen supply component is provided, which can supply oxygen to the curing tank through the oxygen-permeable film, and the oxygen and the photocurable material at the bottom of the curing tank are combined to form a liquid curing inhibition layer, and the curing inhibition layer can separate the printing interface and the oxygen-permeable film during the curing process, so that the cured structure will not contact the oxygen-permeable film, and there is no need to peel off the cured structure after the single-layer structure is cured, so continuous printing and curing can be achieved, and the printing efficiency is higher. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the present invention or the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a printing and forming device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional view of a printing and forming device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 It is a flow chart of a printing method of a printing forming device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Reference numerals: 1. Printing equipment; 11. Curing tank; 111. Oxygen permeable film; 12. oxygen supply assembly; 121. oxygen supply chamber; 122. oxygen supply device; 123. oxygen supply cavity; 124. oxygen concentrator; 125. oxygen supply pipeline; 13. projection assembly; 131. light source; 132. liquid crystal panel; 14. Printing platform. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] Combine the following Figure 1-Figure 2 The printing and molding apparatus of the present invention is described.

[0024] like Figure 1As shown, the present invention provides a printing and forming device 1, comprising: a curing tank 11, an oxygen supply component 12, a projection component 13 and a printing platform 14. The curing tank 11 is used to accommodate photocurable materials, and an oxygen-permeable film 111 is provided at the bottom of the curing tank 11, and the oxygen-permeable film 111 has light permeability and oxygen permeability. The oxygen supply component 12 is used to supply oxygen to the curing tank 11 through the oxygen-permeable film 111, so as to form a curing inhibition layer above the oxygen-permeable film 111, and to form a printing interface above the curing inhibition layer. The projection component 13 is arranged below the curing tank 11, and is used to emit light into the curing tank 11 according to the shape of the object to be printed, so as to form a curing area of ​​a corresponding shape at the printing interface. The printing platform 14 is arranged above the curing tank 11 in a liftable manner, and the printing platform 14 is used to contact with the photocurable material at the printing interface to fix the object formed after the photocurable material is cured.

[0025] In this embodiment, the curing tank 11 is used to accommodate light-curing materials (such as various types of light-curing resins) and provide a place for curing the light-curing materials. An oxygen-permeable film 111 is provided at the bottom of the curing tank 11. The oxygen-permeable film 111 allows light to pass through so as to cure the light-curing materials in the curing tank 11. At the same time, the oxygen-permeable film 111 also allows oxygen to pass through so that oxygen can enter the curing tank 11 and form a curing inhibition layer with the light-curing materials.

[0026] Specifically, the printing and molding device 1 of this embodiment is also provided with an oxygen supply component 12, which can pass oxygen to the oxygen-permeable film 111. Oxygen can enter the curing tank 11 through the oxygen-permeable film 111 and combine with the photocurable material at the bottom of the curing tank 11, thereby forming a curing inhibition layer above the oxygen-permeable film 111. The curing inhibition layer will not undergo a curing reaction when exposed to light and can remain in a liquid state. The photocurable material above the curing inhibition layer that is not combined with oxygen will still be cured and formed when exposed to light. Therefore, a printing interface for printing and molding can be formed above the curing inhibition layer.

[0027] The projection assembly 13 of this embodiment is used to emit light to the curing tank 11 above. When the light passes through the oxygen permeable film 111 and the curing inhibition layer and irradiates the printing interface, the light-curing material at the printing interface can be photocured to form a fixed structure. A printing platform 14 is provided above the curing tank 11. The printing platform 14 can be lowered to the printing interface so that the cured light-curing material is directly fixed to the printing platform 14. In the subsequent printing process, the printing platform 14 can rise so that the cured structure leaves the printing interface, and the light-curing material continues to be cured under the cured structure until the object to be printed is completely printed. It is understandable that before curing, the model of the object to be printed needs to be sliced ​​and layered. During the curing process, the projection assembly 13 can adjust the shape of the curing area formed by the light on the printing interface according to the number of layers currently cured and the shape of the model of the corresponding number of layers, so as to achieve the printing of the object to be printed. During the printing process, since the solidified structure and the oxygen-permeable film 111 at the bottom of the solidification tank 11 are separated by a liquid solidification inhibition layer, there is no need to control the printing platform 14 to separate the solidified structure and the bottom of the solidification tank 11 after the single-layer structure is solidified, thereby achieving continuous printing and solidification, and the printing efficiency is higher.

[0028] The printing and molding device 1 of the present invention is provided with a curing tank 11 to accommodate the photocurable material. The oxygen-permeable film 111 at the bottom of the curing tank 11 can allow the projection assembly 13 below to emit light into the curing tank 11 to cure and mold the photocurable material in the curing tank 11. A printing platform 14 is provided as a base for printing objects. When printing starts, it descends to the printing interface so that the initially cured structure can be fixed on the printing platform 14, and gradually rises during the subsequent printing process to cooperate with the projection assembly 13 to realize layer-by-layer printing of the object to be printed. At the same time, an oxygen supply assembly 12 is provided. The oxygen supply assembly 12 can supply oxygen to the curing tank 11 through the oxygen-permeable film 111. The oxygen and the photocurable material at the bottom of the curing tank 11 are combined to form a liquid curing inhibition layer. The curing inhibition layer can separate the printing interface and the oxygen-permeable film 111 during the curing process, so that the cured structure will not contact the oxygen-permeable film 111. After the single-layer structure is cured, there is no need to peel off the cured structure, so continuous printing and curing can be achieved, and the printing efficiency is higher.

[0029] It is understandable that, since the oxygen-permeable film 111 does not come into contact with the solidified structure, it is not prone to aging and has a longer practical life.

[0030] Optionally, in some embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the oxygen supply assembly 12 includes an oxygen supply chamber 121 and an oxygen supply device 122. The oxygen supply chamber 121 is installed at the bottom of the curing tank 11, and the oxygen supply chamber 121 and the oxygen permeable film 111 together form an oxygen supply cavity 123; the bottom of the oxygen supply cavity 123 is a light-transmitting plate. The oxygen supply device 122 is connected to the oxygen supply cavity 123 to pass oxygen into the oxygen supply cavity 123.

[0031] In this embodiment, an oxygen supply chamber 121 is installed at the bottom of the curing tank 11, a cavity is provided in the oxygen supply chamber 121, and the top opening of the cavity is closed by an oxygen permeable film 111 to form an oxygen supply chamber 123. The oxygen supply device 122 can first pass oxygen into the oxygen supply chamber 123, and then supply oxygen to the curing tank 11 through the oxygen permeable film 111 at the top of the oxygen supply chamber 123, which can prevent oxygen leakage, reduce the oxygen consumption during the printing process, and make the oxygen supply easier to control. At the same time, the bottom of the oxygen supply chamber 123 is a light-transmitting plate so that the light emitted by the projection assembly 13 can pass through the light-transmitting plate to the curing tank 11, without affecting the curing molding in the curing tank 11.

[0032] Specifically, in some embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the oxygen supply device 122 includes an oxygen generator 124, an oxygen supply pipeline 125 and a control valve (not shown in the figure). The oxygen generator 124 is connected to the oxygen supply chamber 123 through the oxygen supply pipeline 125, and the control valve is arranged on the oxygen supply pipeline 125 to control the oxygen flow in the oxygen supply pipeline 125.

[0033] In this embodiment, the oxygen generator 124 is used to produce oxygen, and pass the oxygen into the oxygen supply chamber 123 through the oxygen supply pipeline 125, and then supply oxygen to the solidification tank 11 through the oxygen permeable film 111 on the top of the oxygen supply chamber 123. At the same time, a control valve is provided in the oxygen supply pipeline 125 to control the oxygen flow in the oxygen supply pipeline 125, thereby limiting the oxygen supply rate of the oxygen generator 124 to the oxygen supply chamber 123, which has a simple structure and is convenient and practical.

[0034] In some embodiments, the oxygen permeable film 111 is an elastic film, and the oxygen permeable film 111 can be deformed in the vertical direction under the driving of the air pressure of the oxygen supply chamber 123. The oxygen supply component 12 also includes: a first pressure sensor (not shown in the figure), which is arranged in the oxygen supply chamber 123 and is used to detect the air pressure in the oxygen supply chamber 123. The first pressure sensor is communicatively connected with the control valve, and the oxygen supply device 122 is used to control the oxygen flow rate entering the oxygen supply chamber 123 according to the air pressure in the oxygen supply chamber 123.

[0035] In this embodiment, by setting the oxygen permeable film 111 as an elastic film, the oxygen permeable film 111 can be deformed in the vertical direction under the drive of oxygen with sufficient air pressure, for example, the oxygen permeable film 111 is convex upward. When the oxygen permeable film 111 is deformed in the vertical direction, the height of the curing inhibition layer above the oxygen permeable film 111 can be changed. At the same time, by setting a first pressure sensor in the oxygen supply chamber 123 to detect the air pressure in the oxygen supply chamber 123, the oxygen flow rate entering the oxygen supply chamber 123 can be controlled in conjunction with the control valve, and then the air pressure in the oxygen supply chamber 123 can be adjusted to achieve precise control of the height of the curing inhibition layer. It can be understood that the thickness of the curing inhibition layer is also related to the amount of oxygen entering the curing tank 11 and the type of photocurable material. By adjusting the oxygen flow entering the oxygen supply chamber 123, the height and thickness of the curing inhibition layer can be adjusted simultaneously according to the type of photocurable material, so that the height and thickness of the curing inhibition layer can be adapted to different types of photocurable materials, which is beneficial to the molding effect of object printing.

[0036] In addition, it is understandable that by providing a first pressure sensor in the oxygen supply chamber 123 to detect the air pressure in the oxygen supply chamber 123, the air pressure in the oxygen supply chamber 123 can be adjusted in cooperation with the oxygen supply device 122 during the printing and molding process, so that the air pressure during the printing and molding process is more stable. Accordingly, the height of the curing inhibition layer is more stable, thereby making the printing interface more stable, which is beneficial to improving the molding quality of the object.

[0037] In some embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the oxygen supply assembly 12 also includes a second pressure sensor. The second pressure sensor is connected to the control valve. The first pressure sensor is arranged on the side of the oxygen permeable film 111 facing the oxygen supply chamber 123, and is used to monitor the oxygen pressure below the oxygen permeable film 111. The second pressure sensor is arranged on the side of the oxygen permeable film 111 facing the curing tank 11, and is used to monitor the oxygen pressure above the oxygen permeable film 111.

[0038] In this embodiment, a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor are respectively provided on both sides of the oxygen permeable film 111 to detect the pressure difference on both sides of the oxygen permeable film 111. The pressure difference on both sides of the oxygen permeable film 111 can be used to more accurately calculate the deformation of the oxygen permeable film 111, so as to more accurately control the deformation of the oxygen permeable film 111, thereby better controlling and adjusting the height and thickness of the curing inhibition layer, which is beneficial to improving the final printing effect.

[0039] Furthermore, in some embodiments, there are multiple first pressure sensors, and the multiple first pressure sensors are arranged at intervals along the edge of the oxygen-permeable film 111 .

[0040] In this embodiment, by arranging a plurality of first pressure sensors at intervals along the oxygen-permeable film 111, the first pressure sensors can detect the air pressure at different positions on the side of the oxygen-permeable film 111 facing the oxygen supply chamber 123, which is helpful for calculating the deformation amount at different positions of the oxygen-permeable film 111, so as to better control the oxygen supply pressure, thereby better controlling and adjusting the height and thickness of the curing inhibition layer, which is helpful for improving the final printing and molding effect.

[0041] It is understandable that there may be multiple second pressure sensors, and the multiple second pressure sensors are arranged at intervals along the edge of the oxygen-permeable film 111 .

[0042] In this embodiment, by arranging a plurality of second pressure sensors at intervals along the oxygen-permeable film 111, the second pressure sensors can detect the air pressure at different positions of the oxygen-permeable film 111 on the side facing the curing tank 11, so as to cooperate with the first pressure sensor to calculate the pressure difference at different positions of the oxygen-permeable film 111, so as to better control the oxygen supply pressure, thereby better controlling and adjusting the height and thickness of the curing inhibition layer, which is beneficial to improving the final printing and molding effect.

[0043] In some embodiments, the printing and molding device 1 further includes a vibration device, which is disposed in the curing tank 11 , and is used to drive the tank wall of the curing tank 11 to vibrate so as to drive the light-curable material to flow.

[0044] In this embodiment, a vibration device is provided in the curing tank 11 to vibrate the tank wall, thereby assisting in driving the photocurable material to flow, which is beneficial to release the heat released by the polymerization reaction. Under high-speed printing, if the heat generated by the polymerization reaction cannot be dissipated in time, it will affect the printing quality and object size.

[0045] Optionally, in some embodiments, the printing molding device 1 further includes a circulating heat dissipation pipeline, which is interconnected with the curing tank 11, so that the photocurable material circulates between the curing tank 11 and the circulating heat dissipation pipeline, and dissipates heat and cools in the circulating heat dissipation pipeline.

[0046] Optionally, a filtering device may be provided in the circulating heat dissipation pipeline to filter tiny solid particles generated during the printing process during the circulation of the photocurable material to prevent a reduction in resolution.

[0047] In some embodiments, the printing molding device 1 further includes a curing material supply system, and the curing material supply system includes a feeding device and a liquid level monitoring device. The liquid level monitoring device is disposed in the curing tank 11, and is used to detect the liquid level height of the light-curing material in the curing tank 11. The feeding device and the liquid level monitoring device are communicatively connected, and the feeding device is used to pass the light-curing material into the curing tank 11.

[0048] In this embodiment, a liquid level monitoring device is provided in the curing tank 11 to detect the liquid level height of the light-curing material in the curing tank 11, so as to determine whether the amount of the light-curing material in the curing tank 11 meets the printing molding requirement. The feeding device is connected to the liquid level monitoring device for communication, and when the light-curing material in the curing tank 11 is insufficient, the light-curing material is supplied to the curing tank 11, so that the light-curing material meets the printing requirement.

[0049] In some embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the projection assembly 13 includes a light source 131 and a liquid crystal panel 132. The liquid crystal panel 132 is disposed below the curing tank 11, and the light source 131 is disposed below the liquid crystal panel 132. The light source 131 is used to emit light to the liquid crystal panel 132, and the liquid crystal panel 132 is used to adjust the shape of the light-transmitting area on the liquid crystal panel 132 according to the shape of the object to be printed, so as to adjust the shape of the curing area formed on the printing interface after the light passes through the liquid crystal panel 132.

[0050] It is understandable that the liquid crystal panel 132 of this embodiment can adjust the shape of the light-transmitting area on the liquid crystal panel 132 under the driving control of the computer and the display screen driving circuit, and the remaining areas are not light-transmitting. The light source 131 can project light to the printing interface through the light-transmitting area of ​​the liquid crystal panel 132, and form a curing area of ​​a specific shape on the printing interface, so as to cure the light-curing material layer by layer according to the shape of the object to be printed.

[0051] Specifically, the light source 131 can be an LED (Light-Emitting Diode) light source, and the liquid crystal panel 132 can be an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display screen, which has high display accuracy, direct contact imaging, high printing product accuracy, and a plane accuracy of up to 100μm. It is cheap and cost-effective.

[0052] On the other hand, Figure 3 As shown, the present invention also provides a printing method according to the printing molding device 1 of any of the above embodiments. By adopting the above printing molding device 1, the printing method of the present invention also has the advantages of the above printing molding device 1, which will not be repeated here. The printing method of the present invention includes the following steps: Step S101: introducing a photocurable material into a curing tank, and supplying oxygen into the curing tank through an oxygen-permeable film at the bottom of the curing tank, so as to form a curing inhibition layer and a printing interface.

[0053] Step S102: Control the printing platform to descend to the printing interface.

[0054] Step S103: Control the projection assembly to project light on the printing interface according to the shape of the object to be printed, so as to form a curing area of ​​a corresponding shape, and control the printing platform to rise until printing is completed.

[0055] In this embodiment, it is necessary to first introduce the photocurable material into the curing tank 11 so that the photocurable material in the curing tank 11 can meet the printing and molding requirements. After introducing enough photocurable material, the oxygen supply component 12 is controlled to supply oxygen into the curing tank 11 through the oxygen permeable film 111, so that the oxygen and the photocurable material at the bottom of the curing tank 11 are combined to form a liquid curing inhibition layer, and a printing interface is formed above the curing inhibition layer.

[0056] Then, the printing platform 14 can be controlled to descend to the printing interface, so that when the subsequent printing and molding begins, the first layer of the solidified structure can be fixed on the printing platform 14 and rise and fall with the printing platform 14 for continuous printing.

[0057] Before starting printing, it is necessary to model the object to be printed, slice and layer the model, and input each layered structure of the model into the projection component 13. The projection component 13 can project light on the printing interface according to the shape contour of each layered structure, form a corresponding curing area on the printing interface, and cure the photocurable material to form a cured structure consistent with the shape of the model. During the printing process, the printing platform 14 is controlled to rise gradually so that each layered model can be cured layer by layer, and the cured structures are connected and stacked to form a complete object to be printed. During the printing process, there is always a liquid curing inhibition layer under the cured structure at the printing interface, so that the cured structure will not adhere to each other, and there is no need to separate the cured structure and the material adhered to it after the single-layer structure is cured, so that the printing efficiency is higher.

[0058] It is understandable that before printing, the user needs to import the 3D model file (supporting STL, OBJ and other formats) through the human-computer interaction interface of the control system. The system automatically performs slicing and generates a printing instruction sequence. The system automatically recommends initial printing parameters based on the selected material and printing quality requirements, including layer thickness, exposure time, LED intensity, etc. Users can make fine adjustments as needed.

[0059] Before printing, the system needs to be initialized, including: resetting the height of the printing platform 14, preheating and calibrating the intensity of the light source 131, and adjusting the curing inhibition layer to an initial height (usually 100 μm).

[0060] Optionally, in some embodiments, the printing and forming device 1 further includes a monitoring device, which is used to perform video monitoring on the printing process so that when an error or failure occurs during the printing process, printing can be stopped in time and repair and reset can be performed.

[0061] In a specific embodiment, the oxygen permeable film 111 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) with a thickness of 0.1 mm. The oxygen supply chamber 121 is supported by aluminum alloy. A first pressure sensor is provided in the curing tank 11, and the accuracy of the first pressure sensor is 0.01 kPa. The control valve is a solenoid valve with a response time of <10 ms.

[0062] Based on the printing and molding device 1 of this embodiment, when performing a printing test on a standard test model (a cube of 50×50×50 mm), the existing LCD printer takes about 4 hours to print; the printing and molding device 1 of this embodiment takes about 1 hour to print.

[0063] For a complex model (a 100 mm high human statue): the existing LCD printer takes about 12 hours to print; the printing molding device 1 of this embodiment takes about 3.5 hours to print.

[0064] It is understandable that since the printing and molding equipment 1 of this embodiment does not need to peel off the solidified structure and the underlying material after the single-layer structure is solidified, it can effectively reduce material loss and improve material utilization; at the same time, the improved printing efficiency can effectively reduce energy consumption; there is no need to set a release film, and the practical life of each component is extended, which is conducive to reducing maintenance costs; based on the above advantages, the printing and molding equipment 1 of this embodiment can effectively reduce the comprehensive use cost of the printing equipment.

[0065] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A printing and molding device, characterized in that: include: A curing tank, the curing tank is used to accommodate the light-curing material, and an oxygen-permeable film is provided at the bottom of the curing tank, and the oxygen-permeable film has light permeability and oxygen permeability; an oxygen supply component, the oxygen supply component being used to supply oxygen into the curing tank through the oxygen permeable film, so as to form a curing inhibition layer above the oxygen permeable film, and to form a printing interface above the curing inhibition layer; A projection assembly, which is disposed below the curing tank and is used to emit light into the curing tank according to the shape of the object to be printed, so as to form a curing area of ​​a corresponding shape on the printing interface; A printing platform is movably disposed above the curing tank, and the printing platform is used to contact the photocurable material at the printing interface to fix the object formed after the photocurable material is cured.

2. The printing and molding equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oxygen supply assembly comprises an oxygen supply chamber and an oxygen supply device; The oxygen supply chamber is installed at the bottom of the curing tank, and the oxygen supply chamber and the oxygen permeable film together form an oxygen supply cavity; the bottom of the oxygen supply cavity is a light-transmitting plate; The oxygen supply device is communicated with the oxygen supply cavity so as to introduce oxygen into the oxygen supply cavity.

3. The printing and forming equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The oxygen supply device comprises an oxygen concentrator, an oxygen supply pipeline and a control valve; The oxygen concentrator is connected to the oxygen supply chamber through the oxygen supply pipeline, and the control valve is arranged on the oxygen supply pipeline to control the oxygen flow in the oxygen supply pipeline.

4. The printing and forming equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The oxygen-permeable film is an elastic film, and the oxygen-permeable film can be deformed in a vertical direction under the driving force of the air pressure of the oxygen supply cavity; The oxygen supply assembly further includes: a first pressure sensor, which is disposed in the oxygen supply cavity and is used to detect the air pressure in the oxygen supply cavity; The first pressure sensor is communicatively connected to the control valve, and the control valve is used to control the flow of oxygen entering the oxygen supply chamber according to the air pressure in the oxygen supply chamber.

5. The printing and forming equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The oxygen supply assembly further comprises a second pressure sensor; the second pressure sensor is communicatively connected to the control valve; The first pressure sensor is disposed on a side of the oxygen permeable film facing the oxygen supply chamber, and is used to monitor the oxygen pressure below the oxygen permeable film; The second pressure sensor is disposed on a side of the oxygen-permeable film facing the curing tank, and is used to monitor the oxygen pressure above the oxygen-permeable film.

6. The printing and forming equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: There are a plurality of the first pressure sensors, and the plurality of the first pressure sensors are arranged at intervals along the edge of the oxygen-permeable film; And / or, there are a plurality of second pressure sensors, and the plurality of second pressure sensors are arranged at intervals along the edge of the oxygen-permeable film.

7. The printing and molding equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a vibration device, which is arranged in the curing groove and is used to drive the groove wall of the curing groove to vibrate so as to drive the light-curing material to flow.

8. The printing and molding equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also included is a solidifying material supply system, the solidifying material supply system including a feeding device and a liquid level monitoring device; The liquid level monitoring device is disposed in the curing tank and is used to detect the liquid level height of the photocurable material in the curing tank; The feeding device is communicatively connected to the liquid level monitoring device, and the feeding device is used to introduce the light-curing material into the curing tank.

9. The printing and molding equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The projection assembly includes a light source and a liquid crystal panel, wherein the liquid crystal panel is disposed below the curing tank, and the light source is disposed below the liquid crystal panel; The light source is used to emit light to the liquid crystal panel, and the liquid crystal panel is used to adjust the shape of the light-transmitting area on the liquid crystal panel according to the shape of the object to be printed, so as to adjust the shape of the curing area formed on the printing interface after the light passes through the liquid crystal panel.

10. A printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: include: The photocurable material is introduced into the curing tank, and oxygen is supplied into the curing tank through the oxygen-permeable film at the bottom of the curing tank to form the curing inhibition layer and the printing interface; Controlling the printing platform to descend to the printing interface; According to the shape of the object to be printed, the projection assembly is controlled to project light on the printing interface to form a curing area of ​​a corresponding shape, and the printing platform is controlled to rise until printing is completed.

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