Photocuring 3D printer and trough heating method

Abstract

The invention discloses a photocuring 3D printer and a trough heating method. The photocuring 3D printer comprises a resin trough, a temperature measuring module, a control module and a heating module; the temperature measuring module is arranged at the bottom of the resin trough, the heating module is arranged in the resin trough, and the control module is electrically connected with the temperature measuring module and the heating module; the resin trough is used for containing a resin printing material; the temperature measuring module is used for acquiring the temperature of resin in the resin trough and sending the temperature to the control module; the control module generates a control signal sent to the heating module according to the resin temperature; and the heating module heats the resin according to the control signal. The control module controls the heating module to only heat the resin in the resin trough on the basis of the resin temperature measured by the temperature measuring module, the whole space does not need to be heated through a fan heating device, vibration caused by heating of the fan heating device can be avoided, the heating efficiency can be effectively improved, and the heating duration can be shortened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of 3D printers, and in particular to a light-curing 3D printer and a material tank heating method. Background Art

[0002] The basic principle of photo-curing 3D printing is to build up the three-dimensional shape of the target part by stacking materials layer by layer. First, the geometric shape of the target part is decomposed into a series of horizontal plane layers; then, a light beam of a specific wavelength is used to scan the liquid photosensitive resin layer by layer; at each level, the area irradiated by the light beam will solidify, while the area not affected by the light beam will remain in a liquid state. Through this layer-by-layer scanning and curing method, the complete shape of the target part is gradually built. This method can make the resin utilization efficiency close to 100%.

[0003] The viscosity of the resin is relatively high in a low-temperature environment, which affects the reflux of the resin during printing. In order to ensure that the printer can print normally in a low-temperature environment and reduce the negative impact of the low-temperature environment on the fluidity of the resin, a fan heating device is used inside the printer to heat the overall temperature of the printer's internal space, so that the resin is always maintained at an appropriate printing temperature during the printing process.

[0004] However, the fan heating device will generate unnecessary vibrations, which will have a great impact on the stability of printing; and the fan heating needs to heat the entire space, and its heating efficiency is low and the heating time is long. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a light-curing 3D printer and a material trough heating method, which does not require a fan heating device to heat the entire space, can avoid the vibration caused by the fan heating device during heating, and can effectively improve the heating efficiency and shorten the heating time.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is implemented according to the following scheme: Provided is a photocuring 3D printer, comprising: a resin tank, a temperature measuring module, a control module and a heating module; the temperature measuring module is arranged at the bottom of the resin tank, the heating module is arranged inside the resin tank, and the control module is electrically connected to the temperature measuring module and the heating module; The resin tank is used to hold the printing material which is resin; The temperature measurement module is used to obtain the resin temperature in the resin tank and send it to the control module; The control module generates a control signal sent to the heating module according to the resin temperature; The heating module heats the resin according to the control signal.

[0007] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of a light-curing 3D printer of the present invention are as follows: the control module controls the heating module to heat only the resin in the resin tank based on the resin temperature measured by the temperature measuring module, and there is no need to heat the entire space through a fan heating device. The vibration caused by the fan heating device during heating can be avoided, and the heating efficiency can be effectively improved, and the heating time can be shortened.

[0008] Optionally, the temperature measurement module includes a temperature sensor, and the temperature sensor is electrically connected to the control module.

[0009] Optionally, the heating module includes a heating wire, an adapter plate terminal and an adapter plate; The heating wire is embedded in the resin tank; the adapter board terminals are welded to both ends of the heating wire; the adapter board terminals are connected to the adapter board; and the adapter board is electrically connected to the control module.

[0010] Optionally, the adapter board terminal is a spring contact type.

[0011] Optionally, a display module is further included, wherein the display module is electrically connected to the control module and is used to display the resin temperature.

[0012] Optionally, the control module includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores at least one instruction, at least one program, a code set or an instruction set, and the at least one instruction, at least one program, a code set or an instruction set is loaded and executed by the processor.

[0013] A method for heating a material tank of a light-curing 3D printer is also provided, which is applied to the light-curing 3D printer, comprising: Obtain the resin temperature in the resin tank through the temperature measurement module; The control module generates a control signal according to the resin temperature and the preset temperature; The heating module heats the resin in the resin tank according to the control signal.

[0014] Optionally, the control signal includes: Preheating instruction, used to preheat the resin before the printer performs printing operation; The heating instruction is used to heat the resin when the printer performs a printing operation.

[0015] Optionally, the control module generates a control signal according to the resin temperature and the preset temperature, including: The control module obtains the real-time ambient temperature; When the real-time ambient temperature is lower than the preset temperature, the control signal is a preheating instruction; When the resin temperature is lower than the preset temperature, the control signal is a heating instruction.

[0016] Optionally, the preset temperature is an optimal temperature of the resin in the resin tank. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 The structure of the light-curing 3D printer of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 1 ; Figure 2 The structure of the light-curing 3D printer of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 2 ; Figure 3 The figure is a flow chart of the trough heating method of the present invention.

[0018] Explanation of the reference numerals: 1. resin tank; 2. temperature measuring module; 3. heating module; 301. heating wire; 302. adapter board terminal; 303. adapter board. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present invention, and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0020] When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. On the contrary, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the attached claims. In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish similar objects, and do not have to be used to describe a specific order or sequence, nor can they be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0021] See also Figure 1-2 As shown, the present invention provides a light-curing 3D printer, comprising: Resin tank 1, temperature measuring module 2, control module, heating module 3 and display module; the temperature measuring module 2 is arranged at the bottom of the resin tank 1, the heating module 3 is arranged inside the resin tank 1, and the control module is electrically connected with the temperature measuring module 2, the heating module 3 and the display module; the resin tank 1 is used to hold the printing material which is resin; the temperature measuring module 2 is used to obtain the resin temperature in the resin tank 1 and send it to the control module; the control module generates a control signal sent to the heating module 3 according to the resin temperature; the heating module 3 heats the resin according to the control signal; the display module is used to display the resin temperature.

[0022] The temperature measurement module 2 includes a temperature sensor, which is electrically connected to the control module. The temperature sensor measures the temperature of the resin in the resin tank 1 in real time to obtain the resin temperature in real time, and is electrically connected to the control module to send the resin temperature measured by the temperature sensor to the control module, so that the control module determines whether to start the heating module 3 according to the resin temperature, and sends the resin temperature to the display module, so that the staff can check the resin temperature in the resin tank 1 in real time to ensure that the printing process is carried out at the optimal resin temperature.

[0023] The fluidity of the resin is crucial to the success rate of light-curing 3D printing. The viscosity of the resin varies greatly at different temperatures. In a low-temperature environment, the viscosity of the resin increases and the fluidity deteriorates, which may cause printing failure. By using the temperature measurement module 2 to detect the resin temperature in real time, it can ensure that the resin is always within the optimal printing temperature range, avoiding printing quality problems caused by temperature fluctuations.

[0024] The heating module 3 includes a heating wire 301, an adapter plate terminal 302 and an adapter plate 303; the heating wire 301 is evenly embedded in the resin tank 1 to achieve consistent temperature in various areas of the resin and avoid local temperatures being too high or too low; the adapter plate terminal 302 is welded to both ends of the heating wire 301; the adapter plate terminal 302 is connected to the adapter plate 303; the adapter plate 303 is electrically connected to the control module; wherein the adapter plate terminal 302 is a spring contact type, and by setting the adapter plate terminal 302 in a retractable manner, the heating wire 301 can better contact the adapter plate terminal 302, and then the control module sequentially supplies power and heating to the heating wire 301 through the adapter plate 303 and the adapter plate terminal 302, so as to heat the resin through the heating wire 301 embedded in the resin tank 1.

[0025] The traditional fan heating device increases the resin temperature by heating the entire internal space of the printer. This method has the following problems: the fan heating takes a long time to heat the entire space to the target temperature, and the heat dissipates quickly, resulting in low heating efficiency; the fan will vibrate when working, affecting the stability of printing, especially during high-precision printing, the vibration may interfere with the printer and cause printing failure; fan heating may cause uneven temperature distribution in the resin tank 1, affecting the printing quality.

[0026] Therefore, the present invention embeds the heating wire 301 directly inside the resin tank 1 so that the heating wire 301 directly acts on the resin, which can quickly increase the resin temperature, reduce the heating time, and effectively improve the heating efficiency; and by evenly distributing the heating wire 301 inside the tank, it is ensured that the temperature of each area of ​​the resin is consistent after heating, avoiding local excessive temperature. At the same time, the heating wire 301 will not vibrate when working, and will not interfere with the printer, thereby ensuring the stability of the printing process; that is, the present invention can quickly and evenly heat the resin through the heating wire 301, avoiding the problems caused by heating through a fan heating device.

[0027] A control module comprises a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores at least one instruction, at least one program, a code set or an instruction set, and the at least one instruction, at least one program, a code set or an instruction set is loaded and executed by the processor.

[0028] The processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc.

[0029] The memory can be used to store the computer program or module, and the processor realizes various functions by running or executing the computer program or module stored in the memory, and calling the data stored in the memory. The memory can mainly include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area can store an operating system, at least one application required for a function, etc.; the data storage area can store data created according to the use of the mobile phone, etc. In addition, the memory can include a high-speed random access memory, and can also include a non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk, a memory, a plug-in hard disk, a smart memory card (Smart Media Card, SMC), a secure digital (Secure Digital, SD) card, a flash card (Flash Card), at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other volatile solid-state storage devices.

[0030] See also Figure 3 As shown, the present invention also provides a material tank heating method of a light-curing 3D printer, which is applied to the above-mentioned light-curing 3D printer, comprising: S1: Obtain the resin temperature in the resin tank 1 through the temperature measuring module 2; that is, obtain the resin temperature in the resin tank 1 in real time through the temperature sensor of the temperature measuring module 2 and send it to the control module, and the control module sends the resin temperature to the display module, so that the staff can view the resin temperature in the resin tank 1 in real time through the display module.

[0031] S2: The control module generates a control signal according to the resin temperature and the preset temperature; wherein the preset temperature is the optimal temperature of the resin in the resin tank 1; the control signal includes a preheating instruction for preheating the resin before the printer performs a printing operation, and a heating instruction for heating the resin when the printer performs a printing operation.

[0032] The control module generates a control signal according to the resin temperature and the preset temperature. The real-time ambient temperature needs to be obtained through the control module. The real-time ambient temperature can be obtained by setting a temperature sensor outside the printer to obtain the ambient temperature of the printer; when the real-time ambient temperature is lower than the preset temperature, the control signal is a preheating instruction, so as to heat the resin in the resin tank 1 in advance before the printer performs the printing operation to make it reach the optimal printing temperature. The preheating process is usually started when the ambient temperature is low.

[0033] When the resin temperature is lower than the preset temperature, the control signal is a heating instruction, so that the resin in the resin tank 1 is intermittently heated when the printer performs a printing operation, so as to ensure that the resin is always kept within the optimal printing temperature range during the entire printing process.

[0034] S3: The heating module 3 heats the resin in the resin tank 1 according to the control signal.

[0035] In a low temperature environment, the viscosity of the resin increases and its fluidity deteriorates, which will cause the resin to be unable to fill the printing area in time during the printing process, affecting the printing quality; through the preheating instruction, the resin can be heated to the optimal temperature in advance through the heating module 3 to ensure that it has good fluidity at the beginning of printing, so as to avoid printing failures caused by too low resin temperature in the early stage of printing, and effectively improve the printing success rate; and through the preheating instruction, the resin can be heated to the optimal temperature before printing starts, reducing the time required to interrupt heating due to insufficient temperature during printing, thereby shortening the overall printing cycle and improving heating efficiency.

[0036] During the printing process, the resin may gradually cool down due to changes in ambient temperature or heat loss during the printing process, resulting in poor fluidity. Therefore, heating the resin during the printing process through heating instructions can ensure that the resin always remains within the optimal temperature range throughout the printing process and maintains good fluidity, thereby avoiding printing defects caused by resin temperature fluctuations, such as interlayer residues, print omissions, etc.; and heating instructions can be used to increase the resin temperature during printing intervals, reducing the time required to interrupt printing due to insufficient temperature, thereby improving overall printing efficiency.

[0037] The division of the resin into two processes, preheating and heating, is to meet different temperature control requirements and ensure that the resin is always within the optimal temperature range throughout the printing process, thereby improving printing quality and efficiency.

[0038] Preheating instruction: Before printing starts, the resin is heated to the optimal printing temperature in advance, which solves the problem of poor resin fluidity in low temperature environment, ensures that the resin has good fluidity when printing starts, and reduces the printing failure rate.

[0039] Heating instructions: During the printing process, the resin temperature is monitored and adjusted in real time to ensure that the resin is always kept within the optimal temperature range during the entire printing process, solving the printing quality problems caused by temperature fluctuations during the printing process and improving the stability and success rate of printing.

[0040] By dividing the process performed by the heating module 3 into a preheating process and a heating process, the 3D printer can cope with different temperature control requirements and ensure that the resin is always within the optimal temperature range during the entire printing process; the preheating process solves the problem of poor resin fluidity in a low temperature environment, and the heating process solves the problem of resin temperature fluctuations during printing; through the combination of preheating and heating, the printing quality and efficiency are significantly improved, providing users with a more convenient, more efficient, and higher-quality printing experience.

[0041] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A light-curing 3D printer, characterized in that: include: A resin tank, a temperature measuring module, a control module and a heating module; the temperature measuring module is arranged at the bottom of the resin tank, the heating module is arranged inside the resin tank, and the control module is electrically connected to the temperature measuring module and the heating module; The resin tank is used to hold the printing material which is resin; The temperature measurement module is used to obtain the resin temperature in the resin tank and send it to the control module; The control module generates a control signal sent to the heating module according to the resin temperature; The heating module heats the resin according to the control signal.

2. A light-curing 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature measurement module includes a temperature sensor, and the temperature sensor is electrically connected to the control module.

3. A light-curing 3D printer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heating module includes a heating wire, an adapter plate terminal and an adapter plate; The heating wire is embedded in the resin tank; the adapter board terminals are welded to both ends of the heating wire; the adapter board terminals are connected to the adapter board; and the adapter board is electrically connected to the control module.

4. A light-curing 3D printer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The adapter board terminal is a spring contact type.

5. A light-curing 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a display module, which is electrically connected to the control module and is used to display the resin temperature.

6. A light-curing 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control module includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores at least one instruction, at least one program, code set or instruction set, and the at least one instruction, at least one program, code set or instruction set is loaded and executed by the processor.

7. A method for heating a material tank of a light-curing 3D printer, applied to a light-curing 3D printer according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: include: Obtain the resin temperature in the resin tank through the temperature measurement module; The control module generates a control signal according to the resin temperature and the preset temperature; The heating module heats the resin in the resin tank according to the control signal.

8. The method for heating a material tank of a light-curing 3D printer according to claim 7, characterized in that: The control signal includes: Preheating instruction, used to preheat the resin before the printer performs printing operation; The heating instruction is used to heat the resin when the printer performs a printing operation.

9. The method for heating a material tank of a light-curing 3D printer according to claim 8, characterized in that: The control module generates control signals according to the resin temperature and the preset temperature, including: The control module obtains the real-time ambient temperature; When the real-time ambient temperature is lower than the preset temperature, the control signal is a preheating instruction; When the resin temperature is lower than the preset temperature, the control signal is a heating instruction.

10. The method for heating a material tank of a light-curing 3D printer according to claim 9, characterized in that: The preset temperature is the optimal temperature of the resin in the resin tank.

Images