Method for post-processing three-dimensional object, post-processing system and three-dimensional printing system

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for post-processing a three-dimensional object, a post-processing system and a three-dimensional printing system. The method for post-processing the three-dimensional object comprises the following steps: acquiring material information of the three-dimensional object; obtaining product information of the three-dimensional object; outputting a post-processed technological parameter information set based on the material information and the product information; the process parameter information set comprises at least one of a radiation parameter, a heating parameter and a fluid supply parameter; and post-processing the three-dimensional object by using the process parameter information set. According to the method for post-processing the three-dimensional object, customized scheme development can be carried out according to different requirements of various material characteristics, product characteristics and various application scenes, different automatic post-curing schemes are matched, automatic generation of a post-processing process scheme can be achieved, controllable intelligent production can be achieved, and the production efficiency is improved. And the possibility of errors caused by artificial factors is greatly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of 3D printing technology, and particularly to a method for post-processing three-dimensional objects, a post-processing system, and a three-dimensional printing system. Background Art

[0002] Stereolithography 3D printing technology is an additive manufacturing technology that uses an ultraviolet light source to irradiate photosensitive resin placed in a material tray, gradually transforming it from a liquid to a solid to accumulate the final product. Since the printing and curing process needs to consider both the forming efficiency and the bonding force between the cured layers of layer-by-layer curing, the three-dimensional object is not completely cured during the printing and curing process.

[0003] At this time, a post-curing process is required to completely cure the materials in the three-dimensional object, greatly improving the curing conversion rate of the materials, reducing the anisotropy of performance caused by the printing process, and improving the physical and mechanical properties and stability of the materials.

[0004] Three-dimensional objects made of some special materials need to meet requirements such as a high-temperature environment, a low-oxygen environment, and an ultraviolet (UV) environment simultaneously during the post-curing process to achieve the best performance, and the incompletely cured three-dimensional objects need to be transferred among multiple processing devices. However, most of the existing post-processing processes are manually formulated by technicians according to processing experience. Due to the diversity of processing condition combinations, the possibility of human error is increased, and a reasonable post-processing process plan cannot be formulated, resulting in the post-curing result not meeting the expectations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a method for post-processing three-dimensional objects, a post-processing system, and a three-dimensional printing system to solve the technical problem that when technicians formulate a post-processing process plan according to processing experience in the prior art, due to the diversity of processing condition combinations, the possibility of human error is increased, a reasonable post-processing process plan cannot be formulated, and the post-curing result does not meet the expectations.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a method for post-processing three-dimensional objects, including the following steps: obtaining material information of the three-dimensional object; obtaining product information of the three-dimensional object; outputting a set of process parameter information for post-processing based on the material information and the product information; the set of process parameter information includes at least one of radiation parameters, heating parameters, and fluid supply parameters; using the set of process parameter information to post-process the three-dimensional object.

[0007] In some embodiments, the material information includes at least one of material component information, material property information, and material application information, where the material property information includes material aging resistance information.

[0008] In some embodiments, the material component information includes material composition information and / or the number of component types.

[0009] In some embodiments, when the number of component types is more than two, the process parameter information set includes secondary curing parameters.

[0010] In some embodiments, the material anti-aging information includes stability information; the stability information includes at least one of corrosion resistance information, weather resistance information, and temperature resistance information.

[0011] In some embodiments, the material application information includes at least one of curing method information, curing efficiency information, and solvent cleaning information.

[0012] In some embodiments, the product information includes at least one of product surface property information, product surface dimension information, product mechanical property information, product color requirement information, and product safety requirement information.

[0013] In some embodiments, the product surface property information includes at least one of surface hardness information, surface roughness information, surface wear resistance information, and surface conversion rate information.

[0014] In some embodiments, the process parameter information set for post-processing output based on material information and product information includes: outputting fluid supply parameters based on surface hardness information and surface conversion rate information.

[0015] In some embodiments, the product surface dimension information includes product dimension information and / or dimension accuracy information.

[0016] In some embodiments, the process parameter information set for post-processing output based on material information and product information includes: outputting radiation parameters and heating parameters based on dimension accuracy information.

[0017] In some embodiments, the product mechanical property information includes at least one of internal stress information, strength information, toughness information, and elasticity information.

[0018] In some embodiments, the process parameter information set for post-processing output based on material information and product information includes: outputting radiation parameters and heating parameters based on product mechanical property information.

[0019] In some embodiments, the product color requirement information includes at least one of color standard information, color difference range information, and yellowing control requirement information.

[0020] In some embodiments, the process parameter information set for post-processing output based on material information and product information includes: outputting radiation parameters, heating parameters, and fluid supply parameters based on yellowing control requirement information.

[0021] In some embodiments, the product safety requirement information includes at least one of toxic substance type information, toxic substance volatility information, and curing conversion rate information.

[0022] In some embodiments, the set of process parameter information output based on the material information and the product information includes: outputting radiation parameters, heating parameters, and fluid supply parameters based on the curing conversion rate information.

[0023] In some embodiments, the radiation parameters include at least one of light intensity parameter, radiation duration parameter, radiation interval parameter, and wavelength parameter; the heating parameters include at least one of heating temperature parameter, heating duration parameter, and heating interval parameter; the fluid supply parameters include at least one of target fluid type parameter, supply amount parameter, concentration parameter, input rate, and output rate.

[0024] In some embodiments, the set of process parameter information further includes process sequence information and frequency information.

[0025] In some embodiments, the number of the set of process parameter information is multiple, and the multiple sets of process parameter information respectively correspond to multiple stages in the post-processing.

[0026] In a second aspect, the present application provides a post-processing system for performing the method for post-processing a three-dimensional object provided in the first aspect of the present application, including:

[0027] A processing unit for implementing the processing of the material information and the product information, and outputting a set of process parameter information for post-processing based on the material information and the product information;

[0028] A light source unit to which the radiation parameters are applied for controlling the light source unit;

[0029] A heating unit to which the heating parameters are applied for controlling the heating unit.

[0030] In some embodiments, the post-processing system further includes a fluid supply unit to which the fluid supply parameters are applied for controlling the fluid supply unit.

[0031] In a third aspect, the present application provides a three-dimensional printing system, including the post-processing system provided in the third aspect of the present application and a three-dimensional printing device.

[0032] The above technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application have the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0033] After obtaining the material information and product information of the three-dimensional object, the method for post-processing a three-dimensional object provided by the embodiment of the present application can automatically output a set of process parameter information based on the material information and the product information; and the set of process parameter information includes at least one of radiation parameters, heating parameters, and fluid supply parameters, which can realize the automatic generation of post-processing process plans, match different automated post-curing plans for different materials and product requirements, and use the set of process parameter information to post-process the three-dimensional object, which is beneficial to realizing controllable intelligent production and greatly reducing the possibility of errors caused by human factors.

[0034] The post-processing system and the three-dimensional printing system provided by the embodiment of the present application are used to execute the method for post-processing a three-dimensional object, and can realize the automatic generation of a one-stop post-processing process plan. Therefore, it naturally has the technical effects possessed by the method for post-processing a three-dimensional object described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The drawings here are incorporated into the specification and form a part of this specification, showing embodiments consistent with the present application, and are used together with the specification to explain the principles of the present application.

[0036] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, for those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0037] One or more embodiments are exemplarily illustrated by the pictures in the corresponding drawings. These exemplary illustrations do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are represented as similar elements, unless otherwise stated, and the drawings in the figures do not constitute a proportional limitation.

[0038] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the method for post-processing a three-dimensional object provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 2 Flow chart of the post-processing process provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the stages of the post-processing process provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 4 Structural schematic of the post-curing device provided by the embodiment of the present application Figure 1 ;

[0042] Figure 5 Cross-section of the post-curing device provided by the embodiment of the present application Figure 1 ;

[0043] Figure 6 Cross-section of the post-curing device provided by the embodiment of the present application Figure 2 ;

[0044] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the post-curing device provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 8 Schematic control diagram of the 3D printing system provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0046] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0047] 1. Curing chamber; 11. Cavity; 111. First region; 112. Second region; 12. Chamber body; 13. Chamber door; 14. Sealing member; 15. Tray; 16. Temperature detection member;

[0048] 2. Light source unit; 21. First light-emitting element; 22. Second light-emitting element;

[0049] 3. Heating unit; 31. Heating element; 32. Heat diffusion component;

[0050] 4. Fluid supply unit; 41. Input pipeline; 42. Output pipeline; 43. Communication hole; 44. Valve member;

[0051] 5. Cooling unit; 51. Heat dissipation component; 52. Fan component;

[0052] 6. Control unit;

[0053] 7. Outer shell; 71. Operation panel; 72. Air inlet; 73. Air outlet; 74. Communication component;

[0054] 8. 3D printing device;

[0055] 9. Processing unit. Detailed implementation manners

[0056] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Apparently, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0057] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different structures of the present application. To simplify the disclosure of the present application, components and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are only examples and are not intended to limit the present application. In addition, the present application may repeat reference numerals and / or letters in different examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplification and clarity, and does not itself indicate the relationship between various embodiments and / or settings discussed.

[0058] To solve the technical problem in the prior art that when a technician manually formulates a post-treatment process plan according to processing experience, it is easy to increase the possibility of human error due to the diversity of processing condition combinations, and it is impossible to formulate a reasonable post-treatment process plan, resulting in the post-curing result not meeting the expectation, the present application provides a method for post-treating a three-dimensional object, a post-treatment system and a three-dimensional printing system. The method for post-treating a three-dimensional object can obtain the material information and product information of the three-dimensional object, and output a set of process parameter information for post-treatment based on the material information and product information; and the set of process parameter information includes at least one of radiation parameters, heating parameters and fluid supply parameters, which can realize the automatic generation of the post-treatment process plan, match different automated post-curing plans for different materials and product requirements, and use the generated set of process parameter information to post-treat the three-dimensional object, which is beneficial to realizing controllable intelligent production and greatly reducing the possibility of errors caused by human factors.

[0059] Please refer to Figures 1 to 8 , the first aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a method for post-treating a three-dimensional object, including the following steps: obtaining the material information of the three-dimensional object; obtaining the product information of the three-dimensional object; outputting a set of process parameter information for post-treatment based on the material information and product information; the set of process parameter information includes at least one of radiation parameters, heating parameters and fluid supply parameters, and using the set of process parameter information to post-treat the three-dimensional object, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown.

[0060] When different types of materials or different types and application fields of the finally printed products are used, intelligent, dynamic and automated post-treatment process information customization can be performed based on the material information and product information related to the three-dimensional object, so that the performance of the 3D printed product after post-curing reaches the best. And the automatic generation of the set of post-treatment process parameter information can greatly reduce the negligence or errors that may exist in formulating the post-treatment process plan manually.

[0061] It should be noted that the material information and / or product information are derived from the material requirements, application requirements, production scenario requirements, etc. of the three-dimensional object, and can be obtained through at least one of the following methods: manual input, cloud download, automatic import, and scanning and recognition. Among them, scanning and recognition can be methods such as image recognition, QR code recognition, barcode recognition, or radio frequency recognition.

[0062] To ensure the accuracy of scanning and recognition, before obtaining information, the three-dimensional object needs to be cleaned first to avoid the presence of uncured materials or solvent residues on the surface of the three-dimensional object, so as to reduce the errors generated during the scanning and recognition process, as Figure 2 shown.

[0063] In the process parameter information set, the radiation parameters include at least one of the light intensity parameter, radiation duration parameter, radiation interval parameter, and wavelength parameter; the heating parameters include at least one of the heating temperature parameter, heating duration parameter, and heating interval parameter; the fluid supply parameters include at least one of the target fluid type parameter, supply amount parameter, concentration parameter, input rate, and output rate. Among them, the target fluid can include gaseous fluid or liquid fluid, and specifically can include inert gas (such as nitrogen), low-oxygen gas, water, and organic solvents, etc.; the supply amount parameters include the total supply amount parameter and the supply time parameter, etc.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present application, the material information includes at least one of the material component information, material property information, and material application information. Among them, the material property information includes the material anti-aging information, and the material application information includes the material post-treatment process information. The material component information is one of the core factors determining the performance of the printing material, the material anti-aging information is the basis for the selection and application of the printing material, and the material post-treatment process information is closely related to the application field and processing technology.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present application, the material component information includes the material composition information and / or the number of component types. Specifically, the material composition information includes the proportion of the material components. The material components include monomers, prepolymers, oligomers, oligomers, fillers, photoinitiators, defoamers, leveling agents, toughening agents, diluents, etc. For example, polyurethane, polyurea or its copolymers, polysiloxane resins, cyanate resins, precursors of cyanate resins, ring-opening metathesis polymerization resins, epoxy resins, acrylic resins, acrylate monomers, acrylonitrile, vinyl esters, maleimides, vinyl ethers, methacrylates, acrylate copolymer core-shell structures, silicone core-shell particles, inorganic nanoparticle fillers, metal fillers, nanofibers, etc.

[0066] In some embodiments of the present application, when the printing material is a single-component material, no additional baking process is required during the post-curing process, and there is no need for secondary thermal curing by baking at a high temperature.

[0067] In some other embodiments of the present application, when the number of component types is more than two, the material is a two-component material or a multi-component material, and an additional baking and curing process and / or a curing process in a water-containing atmosphere are required to enhance the cross-linking reaction between two or more components. The three-dimensional object is secondarily cured by baking at a high temperature and / or in an atmosphere of high humidity. By optimizing the molecular structure and enhancing the interfacial bonding, a more stable network structure can be formed, enabling the material to meet the design requirements in terms of strength, elasticity, toughness, heat resistance, dimensional stability, etc. At this time, the automatically generated process parameter information set includes secondary curing parameters. Among them, the water-containing atmosphere can be placing the printed part in a water bath or a constant humidity chamber, etc.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present application, the secondary curing parameters mainly include heating parameters during the baking process after photocuring and / or humidity parameters in a water-containing atmosphere.

[0069] In some embodiments of the present application, the material aging resistance information includes stability information; the stability information includes at least one of corrosion resistance information, weather resistance information, and heat resistance information. Specifically, the weather resistance information refers to the ability of the material to maintain its physical, chemical, and mechanical properties stable under natural environmental conditions (such as light, temperature, humidity, etc.). For example, whether the material will fade, degrade, or embrittle when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation for a long time; for example, the long-term stability of the material in the natural environment, whether cracks, deformation, or a decrease in strength will occur, etc. Among them, the heat resistance information determines the upper temperature limit that the three-dimensional object can withstand during the post-curing process.

[0070] For the above reasons, in some embodiments of the present application, the process parameter information set for post-processing output based on material information and product information includes: outputting heating parameters based on heat resistance information to ensure that the heating parameters do not exceed the upper temperature limit that the three-dimensional object can withstand.

[0071] In some embodiments of the present application, the material characteristic information further includes physical property information (such as density, melting point, coefficient of thermal expansion, etc.), material mechanical property information, processing property information (such as thermosetting property, curing temperature, etc.).

[0072] In some embodiments of the present application, the material post-processing process information includes at least one of curing method information, curing efficiency information, and solvent cleaning information. Among them, the curing method information includes thermal curing, wet curing, photocuring, etc.; the curing efficiency information includes curing time requirements, curing degree requirements, etc.; the solvent cleaning information includes solvent type information, cleaning method information, and solvent volatility information, etc.

[0073] Among them, the curing time requirement determines the heating temperature and heating time during the post-curing process, the fluid atmosphere concentration and fluid supply time, as well as the light radiation intensity and radiation time; while the solvent volatility information determines whether preheating is required before the post-curing process to remove the cleaning solvent on the surface of the three-dimensional object. Therefore, the solvent volatility information determines the heating temperature and heating time of the preheating. For example, if the post-curing process of the printed part needs to be completed in 30 minutes, various parameter requirements during the entire curing process need to be considered, such as accelerating curing, accelerating heating, and shortening the radiation time, etc.

[0074] For the above reasons, in some embodiments of the present application, the process parameter information set for post-processing output based on material information and product information includes: radiation parameters, heating parameters, and fluid supply parameters output based on curing efficiency information and solvent cleaning information. Specifically, the radiation parameters mainly include light intensity parameters and radiation duration parameters; the heating parameters mainly include heating temperature parameters and heating duration parameters; the fluid supply parameters mainly include supply quantity parameters and concentration parameters, where the supply quantity parameters include total supply quantity parameters and supply time parameters.

[0075] In some embodiments of the present application, the product information includes at least one of product surface performance information, product surface size information, product mechanical property information, product color requirement information, and product safety requirement information. The product refers to a three-dimensional object obtained after the printing material is cured, and the product information is the relevant information of the three-dimensional object obtained after curing, which is closely related to the performance of the finally obtained three-dimensional printed product.

[0076] In some embodiments of the present application, the product surface performance information includes at least one of surface hardness information, surface roughness information, surface wear resistance information, and surface conversion rate information. Among them, the surface hardness information includes the hardness requirement that the surface of the three-dimensional object should reach after being completely cured; the surface roughness information includes the roughness requirement that the surface of the three-dimensional object should reach after being completely cured; the surface wear resistance information includes the wear resistance requirement that the surface of the three-dimensional object should reach after being completely cured; the surface conversion rate information is a key index for evaluating the surface quality of the three-dimensional object, which reflects the effective curing degree of the surface layer of the material during the printing process.

[0077] When the three-dimensional object undergoes post-curing in an atmosphere filled with the target fluid, a low-oxygen environment can be formed through the fluid atmosphere, significantly reducing the reaction of oxygen with the photosensitizer or free radicals, hindering the polymerization reaction, and resulting in risks such as incomplete surface curing, stickiness, or decreased adhesion. Therefore, the fluid supply situation during the post-curing process is closely related to parameters such as the final surface hardness and curing degree of the three-dimensional object.

[0078] For the above reasons, in some embodiments of the present application, the process parameter information set for post-processing output based on material information and product information includes: outputting fluid supply parameters based on surface hardness information and surface conversion rate information. Specifically, the fluid supply parameters mainly include concentration parameters, and the levels of surface hardness and surface conversion rate requirements determine the levels of the output concentration parameters. In some embodiments of the present application, the product surface dimension information includes product dimension information and / or dimension accuracy information. Among them, the product dimension information includes information such as the length and width of the product, and the dimension accuracy information includes post-curing accuracy information. Post-curing accuracy is a key indicator for evaluating the dimensional stability and surface quality of a three-dimensional object after post-curing. Its core lies in eliminating internal stresses and material shrinkage generated during the printing process through photocuring or heat treatment, thereby improving the final accuracy.

[0079] For the above reasons, in some embodiments of the present application, the process parameter information set for post-processing output based on material information and product information includes: outputting radiation parameters and heating parameters based on dimension accuracy information. Among them, the change in the accuracy of the product after post-curing treatment determines the upper limit value of the heating temperature and the upper limit value of the light intensity of the radiation light. The radiation parameters mainly include light intensity parameters, and the heating parameters mainly include heating temperature parameters.

[0080] In some embodiments of the present application, the product mechanical property information includes at least one of internal stress information, strength information, toughness information, and elasticity information. Among them, the internal stress information includes the internal stress release information of the three-dimensional object, and the strength information, toughness information, and elastic force information together with other information (such as material characteristic information, product surface property information, etc.) determine the performance end point (i.e., the optimal performance limit) of the three-dimensional object. Among them, the internal stress release information and the performance end point determine the duration of the temperature environment, and the performance end point determines the duration of the light radiation.

[0081] For the above reasons, in some embodiments of the present application, the process parameter information set for post-processing output based on material information and product information includes: outputting radiation parameters and heating parameters based on product mechanical property information. Among them, the radiation parameters mainly include radiation duration parameters, and the heating parameters mainly include heating duration parameters.

[0082] In some embodiments of the present application, the product color requirement information includes at least one of color standard information, color difference range information, and yellowing control requirement information. Among them, the color standard information is the target color value that the three-dimensional object needs to display after post-curing; the color difference range information includes the allowable deviation between the three-dimensional object and the standard color; the yellowing control requirement information includes, for easily aging materials such as resins and plastics, specifying their yellowing degree under ultraviolet light or high temperature. When there are requirements for the yellowing and de-yellowing processes of the three-dimensional object, light radiation, temperature environment supply, and target fluid supply need to be carried out during the post-curing process, and the yellowing and de-yellowing processes determine the heating temperature and heating time, the supply concentration and supply time of the fluid atmosphere (such as nitrogen), and the light intensity and radiation time of the radiation light.

[0083] For the above reasons, in some embodiments of the present application, the process parameter information set for post-processing output based on material information and product information includes: outputting radiation parameters, heating parameters, and fluid supply parameters based on the yellowing control requirement information. Among them, the radiation parameters mainly include light intensity parameters and radiation duration parameters; the heating parameters mainly include heating temperature parameters and heating duration parameters; the fluid supply parameters mainly include supply quantity parameters and concentration parameters, and the supply quantity parameters include total supply quantity parameters and supply time parameters.

[0084] In some embodiments of the present application, the product safety requirement information includes toxic substance type information, toxic substance volatility information, and curing conversion rate information. Among them, the toxic substance type information includes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and photosensitive resin residues, etc.; the toxic substance volatility information includes the rate information and total amount information of the diffusion of toxic substances into the air; the curing conversion rate information includes the proportion information of uncured components in the printing material, etc. (uncured materials may continuously release harmful substances), mainly including internal conversion rate and external conversion rate. The internal conversion rate refers to the proportion of chemical or physical reactions that occur during the curing process of the printing material, reflecting the degree of complete curing inside the material; the external conversion rate refers to the geometric matching degree between the surface layer of the three-dimensional object and the expected design model, reflecting the accuracy of material stacking during the printing process.

[0085] When it is confirmed that the three-dimensional object has toxic safety requirements and there are clear requirements for the internal conversion rate and external conversion rate of the material, light radiation, temperature environment supply, and target fluid supply (such as nitrogen) need to be carried out during the post-curing process. Among them, the internal conversion rate determines the heating temperature and heating time, the light intensity and radiation time of the light; the external conversion rate determines the supply concentration and supply time of the fluid atmosphere (such as nitrogen), and the light intensity and radiation time of the light.

[0086] For the above reasons, in some embodiments of the present application, the process parameter information set output based on material information and product information includes: outputting radiation parameters, heating parameters, and fluid supply parameters based on the curing conversion rate information. Among them, the radiation parameters mainly include light intensity parameters and radiation duration parameters, the heating parameters mainly include heating temperature parameters and heating duration parameters; the fluid supply parameters mainly include supply quantity parameters and concentration parameters, and the supply quantity parameters include total supply quantity parameters and supply time parameters.

[0087] In the above embodiments, since different curing environments need to be provided in different stages of the post-curing process, light radiation, temperature environment supply, and fluid supply can exist simultaneously, or can be supplied in stages in a certain order according to the requirements of the post-processing process.

[0088] In some embodiments of the present application, the process parameter information set further includes process sequence information and frequency information. Among them, the process sequence information refers to the execution sequence of each process (such as light radiation, temperature environment supply, and fluid supply) during the post-curing process, ensuring the smooth progress of the printing process, avoiding interference and conflicts between processes, ensuring the synergistic effect of each process, and improving the post-curing effect. The frequency information refers to the number of repetitions of certain processes or operations during the post-curing process. Reasonable process sequence planning and frequency setting can balance printing quality and efficiency. For example, the process sequence can be heating → curing → heating, can be curing → heating, can be curing + fluid supply → heating + curing, or can be heating → curing + fluid supply → heating, etc. The frequency information can be heating for 5 minutes, pausing for 2 minutes, and then heating for 10 minutes; it can be exposure curing for 5 seconds, stopping for 1 second, and then exposure curing for 3 seconds, etc.

[0089] In some embodiments of the present application, the number of process parameter information sets is multiple, and the multiple process parameter information sets respectively correspond to multiple stages in the post-processing process, so as to apply matching process parameters in different stages of the post-processing process, ensuring the printing quality of the three-dimensional object while enabling it to reach the performance end point.

[0090] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 3 , the multiple stages of the post-processing process include the pre-post-curing stage, the mid-post-curing stage, and the post-post-curing stage. Among them, the pre-post-curing stage is the stage before the start of photocuring during the post-curing process, that is, the stage before the light source unit 2 is first turned on; and the post-post-curing stage is the stage after the completion of photocuring during the post-curing process, that is, the stage after the light source unit 2 is finally turned off during the post-curing process, and the mid-post-curing stage is between the pre-post-curing stage and the post-post-curing stage.

[0091] In some embodiments of the present application, the pre - post - curing stage may include a preheating stage and a target fluid filling stage, and the post - post - curing stage may include a final baking stage (i.e., the thermal curing process in the secondary curing).

[0092] In some embodiments of the present application, the mid - post - curing stage includes one or more sub - stages, and each sub - stage has a corresponding set of process parameter information. The sets of process parameter information for any two sub - stages may be the same or different, and are automatically generated by the post - processing system based on the material information and product information of the three - dimensional object.

[0093] In some embodiments of the present application, refer to Figure 3 , the mid - post - curing stage includes a first sub - stage and a second sub - stage. The set of process parameter information corresponding to the pre - post - curing stage includes a first fluid supply parameter and a first heating parameter, which are used to achieve the temperature environment supply and fluid supply in the pre - post - curing stage. The set of process parameter information corresponding to the first sub - stage of the mid - post - curing stage includes a first radiation parameter, a second fluid supply parameter, and a second heating parameter, which are used to achieve light radiation, temperature environment supply, and fluid supply in the first sub - stage. The set of process parameter information corresponding to the second sub - stage of the mid - post - curing stage includes a second radiation parameter, a third fluid supply parameter, and a third heating parameter, which are used to achieve light radiation, temperature environment supply, and fluid supply in the second sub - stage. The set of process parameter information corresponding to the post - post - curing stage includes a fourth heating parameter, which is used to achieve the temperature environment supply in the post - post - curing stage.

[0094] As the first specific embodiment of the present application, when the three - dimensional object is a dental implant model material, Model HP series products, the specific scene information input information obtained by the post - processing system is shown in Table 1 below:

[0095] Table 1: Scene Information Input Information of Model HP Series Products

[0096]

[0097] The set of process parameter information automatically generated by the post - processing system based on the scene information input information is shown in Table 2 below:

[0098] Table 2: Set of Process Parameter Information of Model HP Series Products

[0099]

[0100] As the second specific embodiment of the present application, when the three - dimensional object is a dental surgical guide material, SuricalGuide series products, the specific scene information input information obtained by the post - processing system is shown in Table 3 below:

[0101] Table 3: Scene Information Input Information of Surical Guide Series Products

[0102]

[0103] The process parameter information set automatically generated by the post-processing system based on the scenario information input is shown in Table 4 below:

[0104] Table 4: Process Parameter Information Set for Surical Guide Series Products

[0105]

[0106] As the third specific embodiment of this application, when the three-dimensional object is an industrial high-strength and high-toughness material PAR40 series product, the specific scenario information input obtained by the post-processing system is shown in Table 5 below:

[0107] Table 5: Scenario Information Input for Industrial High-Strength and High-Toughness Material PAR40 Series Products

[0108]

[0109] The process parameter information set automatically generated by the post-processing system based on the scenario information input is shown in Table 6 below:

[0110] Table 6: Process Parameter Information Set for Industrial High-Strength and High-Toughness Material PAR40 Series Products

[0111]

[0112] It can be seen from the above embodiments of this application that the method for post-processing three-dimensional objects provided by this application can develop customized solutions according to the different requirements of each material property, product property, and each application scenario, realize the automatic generation of a controllable process plan, reduce the possibility and degree of freedom of freely combining various functions when formulating the process plan manually during the original post-curing process, and greatly reduce the possibility of making mistakes during the process plan formulation.

[0113] Please refer to Figures 1 to 8 , a second aspect of the embodiments of this application provides a post-processing system for executing the method for post-processing three-dimensional objects described in the above embodiments, including a processing unit 9, a light source unit 2, and a heating unit 3, as Figure 8 shown.

[0114] Among them, the processing unit 9 is used to process material information and product information, and output a set of post-processing process parameter information based on the material information and product information, so as to complete the development of a customized process plan. The radiation parameters in the process parameter information set are applied to the control of the light source unit 2 to control process conditions such as light intensity and radiation time; the heating parameters in the process parameter information set are applied to the control of the heating unit 3 to control process conditions such as heating temperature and heating time, as Figure 8 shown.

[0115] In some embodiments of the present application, the post-processing system further includes a fluid supply unit 4, and the fluid supply parameters in the process parameter information set are applied to the control of the fluid supply unit 4 to control process conditions such as fluid concentration and supply time, as Figure 8 shown.

[0116] Please refer to Figures 1 to 8 , a three-dimensional printing system is provided in the third aspect of the embodiments of the present application, including the post-processing system and the three-dimensional printing device 8 described in the above embodiments. Among them, the three-dimensional printing device 8 is used to prepare a three-dimensional object (i.e., a printed part) by layer-by-layer curing. The post-processing system further promotes resin cross-linking inside the printed part through additional ultraviolet irradiation or heating, thereby improving the strength, stability, and chemical resistance of the printed part.

[0117] The processing unit 9 in the post-processing system is signal-connected to the three-dimensional printing device 8, and information interaction and collaborative control can be achieved between the printing process and the post-curing process of the printed part.

[0118] In some embodiments of the present application, the three-dimensional printing system further includes a post-curing device. The light source unit 2, the heating unit 3, and the fluid supply unit 4 are all integrally arranged in the post-curing device, so that the post-curing device has functions such as light radiation, temperature increase, and fluid atmosphere supply. Parameter adjustment and start-up sequence adjustment can be performed according to different process requirements, and there is no need to transfer the workpiece due to changes in the post-curing required parameters. One-stop curing can be completed inside the post-curing device, which is beneficial to ensuring the continuity of the post-curing process, greatly improving the curing efficiency, and ensuring that the three-dimensional object can reach the best performance after curing.

[0119] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7, the post-curing device further includes a curing chamber 1 which has a cavity 11 for accommodating the three-dimensional object, so as to facilitate the post-curing process of the three-dimensional object in the curing chamber 1. The light source unit 2 is used to irradiate light on the three-dimensional object inside the cavity 11, and the light with a specific wavelength range can trigger the further curing of the incompletely cured photosensitive resin in the three-dimensional object to a completely cured state, realizing deep photocuring. For example, through post-treatment photocuring, the curing degree can be further increased from 70% to 99%. For example, if a dual-curing resin is used for printing the printed part, the post-curing process can cause the resin to crosslink and cure for the second time, and crosslink and cure the uncrosslinked part of the resin during the second curing, thereby completing the final curing of the printed part. The heating unit 3 is used to increase the temperature inside the cavity 11, thereby increasing the temperature of the three-dimensional object. For different types of printing materials, it can improve the reaction efficiency, reaction degree of photocuring and / or achieve the thermal curing of the resin, thereby improving the efficiency of post-curing. For example, the movement of molecular chains in the printed part can be accelerated by high temperature to promote crosslinking and realize the thermal curing of the printed part. The fluid supply unit 4 is used to introduce the target fluid into the cavity 11, so that the three-dimensional object is immersed in the fluid atmosphere formed by the target fluid, which can reduce the oxygen concentration inside the cavity 11, inhibit the oxygen inhibition effect, and improve the curing efficiency. The fluid supply unit 4 can be a gas source and a fluid pipeline.

[0120] The target fluid includes a gaseous fluid, and the gaseous fluid includes an inert gas or a low-oxygen gas. The inert gas can include argon, helium, etc., and can be specifically selected according to factors such as the cost and stability performance (such as thermal stability) of the inert gas. In addition, nitrogen can also perform the same function. The nitrogen content in the low-oxygen gas is 80%-95% or the oxygen content in the low-oxygen gas is 3%-15%.

[0121] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 7 , the fluid supply unit 4 includes an input pipeline 41 and an output pipeline 42 communicating with the cavity 11, which can be used to realize the input and output of the target fluid inside the cavity 11. A communication hole 43 communicating with the cavity 11 is provided on the curing chamber 1, which can be used for sealing connection with the input pipeline 41 or the output pipeline 42.

[0122] In order to realize the on-off control of the input pipeline 41 and the output pipeline 42, the fluid supply unit 4 further includes a valve member 44, which can be used to realize the on-off and flow rate control of the target fluid. The valve member 44 can be an electromagnetic valve, a hydraulic valve, a pneumatic valve or a manual valve, all of which can achieve the purpose of the present application.

[0123] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 4The curing chamber 1 includes a chamber body 12 and a chamber door 13, and the chamber door 13 is movably arranged on the chamber body 12; a sealing member 14 is arranged on the chamber door 13 and / or the chamber body 12, and when the chamber door 13 is closed on the chamber body 12, a closed cavity 11 can be formed inside the chamber body 12 to avoid leakage of the target fluid inside the cavity 11, and also to avoid heat leakage inside the cavity 11, thereby achieving insulation of the temperature inside the cavity 11.

[0124] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The light source unit 2 includes one or more light-emitting elements. The chamber body 12 and / or the chamber door 13 are made of transparent high-temperature resistant material. The light-emitting elements can be arranged on one or more sides outside the curing chamber 1.

[0125] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 The light source unit 2 includes a first light emitting element 21 and a second light emitting element 22. The wavelength of the light emitted by the first light emitting element 21 is different from the wavelength of the light emitted by the second light emitting element 22. For example, the first light emitting element 21 emits a wavelength in the range of 380 to 389 nm, and the second light emitting element 22 emits a wavelength in the range of 420 to 429 nm. The light source unit 2 can emit light of different wavelengths according to the curing needs, and the light can be ultraviolet light, visible light, etc.

[0126] It should be noted that the number of the first light-emitting element 21 and the second light-emitting element 22 can also be one or more, and their arrangement positions relative to the curing chamber 1 can be arranged according to the light source arrangement requirements.

[0127] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The heating unit 3 includes a heating element 31, and the heating element 31 includes at least one of a resistance heating element 31, an induction heating element 31, an arc heating element 31 or a dielectric heating element 31. As long as the temperature inside the cavity 11 is increased, the purpose of the present application can be achieved.

[0128] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7, the heating unit 3 further includes a heat diffusion component 32 corresponding to the heating element 31. The heat diffusion component 32 is configured to promote the heat generated by the heating element 31 to transfer from the first area 111 inside the cavity 11 to the second area 112 inside the cavity 11, where the average temperature of the first area 111 is higher than that of the second area 112. The printed part is arranged in the second area 112, which can make the heat diffuse into the second area 112 in a relatively uniform manner, avoid the problem of obvious temperature field imbalance when the printed part is cured, and is beneficial to ensuring the curing quality.

[0129] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , a tray 15 for placing the printed part is provided inside the curing chamber 1. In order to avoid the tray 15 affecting the flow of air in the cavity 11, the placement board of the tray 15 is set to have a hollow structure. The hollow structure can be holes, grooves, etc., forming a grille or mesh holes on the surface of the placement board, which can all achieve the purpose of the present application.

[0130] In some embodiments of the present application, in order to facilitate the temperature control inside the cavity 11, a temperature detection component 16 is further provided inside the cavity 11 to facilitate the monitoring of the temperature inside the cavity 11, so as to control the heating temperature of the heating element 31 to meet the heating parameter requirements of the post-curing process.

[0131] In some embodiments of the present application, the heating element 31 is a heating tube arranged inside the cavity 11, and the heat diffusion component 32 can be a component such as a fan that can drive the air flow. As long as it can make the air flow with heat diffuse inside the cavity 11, the purpose of the present application can be achieved.

[0132] In some embodiments of the present application, the heat diffusion component 32 is further configured to: after the heating element 31 stops heating, start the heat diffusion component 32 to reduce the temperature inside the cavity 11, which can achieve the rapid cooling of the cavity 11 and the printed part, and facilitate the timely removal of the printed part after post-curing from inside the cavity 11.

[0133] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the post-curing device further includes a cooling unit 5. The cooling unit 5 is used to cool the curing chamber 1 and / or the light source unit 2, which can rapidly reduce the temperature of the curing chamber 1 after post-curing to avoid scalding accidents when the operator takes out the printed part; and / or, continuously cool the light source unit 2 to avoid the heat of the lamp board affecting the service life of the light source unit 2.

[0134] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6, the cooling unit 5 includes a heat dissipation component 51 and a fan component 52. The heat dissipation component 51 is used to be in contact with the curing chamber 1 and / or the light source unit 2, so as to transfer the heat of the component to be cooled into the heat dissipation component 51, and dissipate the heat through the convection of the heat dissipation component 51 and the air. The fan component 52 is used to perform forced air cooling on the heat dissipation component 51, take away the heat on the heat dissipation component 51 with higher efficiency, and improve the cooling efficiency of the cooling unit 5.

[0135] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the post-curing device further includes a housing 7. The housing 7 covers the outside of the curing chamber 1 and the cooling unit 5, which can protect the curing chamber 1 to prevent the operator from being scalded when directly contacting the outer wall of the curing chamber 1, and can also form a cooling air duct between the inner wall of the housing 7 and the outer wall of the curing chamber 1, so as to facilitate the fan component 52 to drive the air flow near the heat dissipation component 51 to move along a preset path, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency and cooling efficiency of the heat dissipation component 51.

[0136] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the left and right sides of the housing 7 are respectively provided with an air inlet 72 and an air outlet 73, which are respectively arranged corresponding to the two ends of the cooling air duct. The air flow is sucked into the housing 7 from the air inlet 72 on one side by the fan component 52, exchanges heat with the heat dissipation component 51 in the cooling air duct, and then is discharged from the air outlet 73 through the fan component 52 on the other side, which can improve the flow speed and heat exchange efficiency of the air flow in the cooling air duct.

[0137] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the heat dissipation component 51 is in contact with the lamp board of the light-emitting element, and can transfer the heat generated by the light-emitting element into the heat dissipation component 51. The heat dissipation component 51 includes a plurality of heat dissipation fins, which can greatly increase the heat dissipation area of the heat dissipation component 51, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the cooling unit 5.

[0138] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 8 , the post-curing device further includes a control unit 6. The control unit 6 is respectively signal-connected to the processing unit 9, the cooling unit 5, the light source unit 2, the heating unit 3 and the fluid supply unit 4, and can be used to realize the intelligent control of the post-curing device, so as to realize the coordinated cooperation among the light source unit 2, the heating unit 3, the fluid supply unit 4 and the cooling unit 5 according to the needs of the post-curing process.

[0139] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 4, an operation panel 71 is provided on the outer shell 7, and manual operation can be used to send control information to the control unit 6, so that the control unit 6 can generate a control program for the post-curing process according to the manually input information. A communication component 74 is also provided on the outer shell 7. The communication component 74 is signal-connected to the control unit 6 to facilitate information interaction between the post-curing device and other devices through the communication component 74. Specifically, the communication component 74 can be an antenna, which can be used to implement wireless communication between the post-curing device and other devices.

[0140] The post-curing device provided by this application can shorten the post-curing process time through the joint work of multiple units, reduce the process transfer and equipment transfer time, and improve the working efficiency of the entire post-curing and performance enhancement process.

[0141] Please refer to Figures 1 to 8 , the fourth aspect of the embodiment of this application provides a manufacturing method, including the method for post-processing a three-dimensional object described in the above embodiment. The process parameter information set in the curing scheme output by the method for post-processing a three-dimensional object can be used to guide actual production, and the generated process parameter information set can be used to post-process the three-dimensional object, so as to ensure that the performance of the three-dimensional printed product reaches the best.

[0142] In some embodiments of this application, the materials used to manufacture the three-dimensional object in the manufacturing method may include photocurable materials and / or thermosetting materials, and the manufactured three-dimensional objects may include engineering models, figurines, human restorations (including dental implants, orthopedic implants, etc.).

[0143] It should be understood that the terms used in this document are only for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" as used in this document may also represent the plural form. The terms "include", "comprise", "contain", and "have" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or their combinations. The method steps, processes, and operations described in this document are not to be construed as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order described or illustrated, unless the execution order is clearly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0144] Although terms such as first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe multiple elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another region, layer, or section. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, terms such as "first", "second", and other numerical terms do not imply an order or sequence when used in the text. Thus, the first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below may be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments.

[0145] The foregoing are only specific embodiments of the present application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to these embodiments shown herein, but rather will conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A method for post-processing a three-dimensional object, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Acquiring material information of the three-dimensional object; Acquiring product information of the three-dimensional object; Outputting a post-processing process parameter information set based on the material information and the product information; The process parameter information set includes at least one of a radiation parameter, a heating parameter, and a fluid supply parameter; The three-dimensional object is post-processed using the process parameter information set.

2. The method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material information includes at least one of material component information, material property information and material application information, wherein the material property information includes material aging resistance information.

3. The method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to claim 2, characterized in that: The material component information includes material composition information and / or component type and quantity.

4. The method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the number of the component types is two or more, the process parameter information set includes secondary curing parameters.

5. The method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to claim 2, characterized in that: The material aging resistance information includes stability information; the stability information includes at least one of corrosion resistance information, weather resistance information and temperature resistance information.

6. The method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to claim 2, characterized in that: The material application information includes at least one of curing method information, curing efficiency information and solvent cleaning information.

7. The method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to claim 1, characterized in that: The product information includes at least one of product surface performance information, product surface size information, product mechanical property information, product color requirement information and product safety requirement information.

8. The method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to claim 7, characterized in that: The product surface performance information includes at least one of surface hardness information, surface roughness information, surface wear resistance information and surface conversion rate information.

9. The method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to claim 8, characterized in that: The process parameter information set based on the output of the material information and the product information after processing includes: The fluid supply parameter is output based on the surface hardness information and the surface conversion rate information.

10. The method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to claim 7, characterized in that: The product surface dimension information includes product dimension information and / or dimension accuracy information, and the process parameter information set processed after output based on the material information and the product information includes: The radiation parameter and the heating parameter are output based on the dimensional accuracy information.

11. The method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to claim 7, characterized in that: The product mechanical property information includes at least one of internal stress information, strength information, toughness information and elasticity information.

12. The method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to claim 7, characterized in that: The product color requirement information includes at least one of color standard information, color difference range information, and yellowing control requirement information, and the process parameter information set for post-processing based on the material information and the product information output includes: The radiation parameter, the heating parameter, and the fluid supply parameter are output based on the yellowing control requirement information.

13. The method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to claim 7, characterized in that: The product safety requirement information includes at least one of toxic substance type information, toxic substance volatility information and curing conversion rate information, and the process parameter information set output based on the material information and the product information after processing includes: The radiation parameter, the heating parameter, and the fluid supply parameter are output based on the curing conversion rate information.

14. The method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that: The radiation parameters include at least one of a light intensity parameter, a radiation duration parameter, a radiation interval parameter and a wavelength parameter; The heating parameters include at least one of a heating temperature parameter, a heating time parameter and a heating interval parameter; The fluid supply parameter includes at least one of a target fluid type parameter, a supply volume parameter, a concentration parameter, an input rate, and an output rate.

15. The method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that: The process parameter information set also includes process sequence information and frequency information.

16. The method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that: There are multiple process parameter information sets, and the multiple process parameter information sets correspond to multiple stages in the post-processing process respectively.

17. A post-processing system, characterized in that: A method for post-processing a three-dimensional object according to any one of claims 1 to 16, comprising: A processing unit (9), used for processing the material information and the product information, and outputting a post-processing process parameter information set based on the material information and the product information; A light source unit (2), wherein the radiation parameter is applied to control the light source unit (2); A heating unit (3), wherein the heating parameters are applied to control the heating unit (3).

18. The post-treatment system according to claim 17, characterized in that: The post-treatment system further comprises a fluid supply unit (4), and the fluid supply parameter is applied to control the fluid supply unit (4).

19. A three-dimensional printing system, characterized in that: It comprises a post-processing system as claimed in claim 17 or 18 and a three-dimensional printing device (8).

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