Multi-nozzle switching coaxial extrusion type biological 3D printer and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a multi-nozzle switching coaxial extrusion type biological 3D printer device which comprises an operation base table, a printing supporting frame, a three-axis movement system, a multi-nozzle switching system and a coaxial slurry extrusion system, and the three-axis movement system is installed above the operation base table according to space movement during printing work; the multi-nozzle switching system is installed on an upper supporting plate of the printing supporting frame. The coaxial slurry extrusion system is fixed through an upper supporting plate and a lower supporting plate of the printing supporting frame. An emergency stop knob, a manual discharge button, a reset button and a start-stop button are arranged on the operation base station; supporting legs are installed at the bottom of the operation base table, and anti-skid gaskets are installed on the lower portions of the supporting legs. The invention further discloses a using method of the multi-nozzle switching coaxial extrusion type biological 3D printer device. The device has the advantages of being high in printing precision, wide in biological material selection range, capable of achieving multi-material concurrent printing, capable of meeting the printing requirement of high-viscosity materials and the like, meanwhile, the proper number of nozzles can be switched and selected according to the layer number requirement of inner and outer layers of coaxial printing, then at most five-layer printing is achieved, and the requirements of various customer groups are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of bio-3D printers, and particularly to an extrusion-type bio-3D printer device and method with multi-nozzle switching. Background Art

[0002] With the booming development of the manufacturing industry and the continuous improvement of the level of equipment automation control, 3D printing, as an emerging manufacturing technology, has been widely used in fields such as biomedicine, construction, industrial part production, and aerospace. Different from traditional subtractive manufacturing, 3D printing is currently called an additive manufacturing process, which is a process of gradually stacking materials from scratch. It is a technology based on a three-dimensional model, slicing the three-dimensional model into layers, and then stacking the materials layer by layer to form a product.

[0003] Coaxial extrusion bio-3D printing is a technology that uses biological materials as printing raw materials and performs coaxial deposition through a printing nozzle to produce biological products with a multi-layer structure. Its basic principle is to place a thermoplastic biological material into a feeding device, extrude the biological material into the printing nozzle through an extrusion device, and then deposit the biological material layer by layer on a low-temperature platform according to the preset trajectory of the printer. At the same time, the coaxial extrusion bio-3D printing technology has advantages such as good printing continuity, low installation and maintenance costs of related printing equipment, wide selection of printing raw materials, and simple post-treatment of printed products, making it have broad application prospects in fields such as biopharmaceuticals, preparation of bionic structures, and medical plastic surgery.

[0004] Currently, the multi-nozzle bio-3D printing devices on the market have the following defects:

[0005] (1) For the platen extrusion type 3D printer, it uses a common stepper motor to drive the movement of the platen on the lead screw through a coupling. The platen simultaneously extrudes the feeding devices of multiple nozzles to achieve coaxial printing. In this type of printer, the platen directly extrudes the feeding device, making the platen prone to warping and deformation, resulting in poor forming accuracy of the printed product.

[0006] (2) For the pneumatic extrusion type 3D printer, it generates extrusion force through compressed air to drive multiple nozzles to achieve coaxial printing. However, during actual operation, the noise is relatively large, and the pneumatic components have certain requirements for the installation environment, which limits the application scenarios of this type of printer. In order to reduce the influence of noise, some pneumatic extrusion type 3D printers have a relatively small rated power, which is not conducive to printing high-viscosity biological materials and is prone to nozzle blockage.

[0007] (3) Most of the multi-nozzle 3D printers on the market can achieve coaxial printing, but the setting of the nozzle position is relatively fixed, and it is impossible to select and switch the number of nozzles according to the number of layers required for the inner and outer layers of coaxial printing. Moreover, most of the nozzles and extrusion devices are integrated structures, making the number of layers of coaxial printing relatively fixed and the versatility poor. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In order to solve the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art, the present invention proposes a coaxial extrusion type biological 3D printer and method with multi-nozzle switching. This device has the characteristics of high printing accuracy, a wide range of biological material selection, the ability to realize multi-material co-point printing, and the ability to meet the printing requirements of high-viscosity materials. At the same time, it can switch and select the appropriate number of nozzles according to the number of layers required for the inner and outer layers of coaxial printing, and then realize up to five-layer printing to meet the needs of various customer groups.

[0009] The present invention is realized through the following technical solutions: A coaxial extrusion type biological 3D printer with multi-nozzle switching, including an operation base, a printing support frame, a three-axis motion system, a multi-nozzle switching system, and a coaxial slurry extrusion system. The three-axis motion system is installed above the operation base according to the spatial motion during printing work; the multi-nozzle switching system is installed on the upper support plate of the printing support frame; the coaxial slurry extrusion system is fixed through the upper support plate and the lower support plate of the printing support frame; an emergency stop knob, a manual discharging button, a reset button, and a start / stop button are provided on the operation base; support feet are installed at the bottom of the operation base, and anti-slip pads are installed at the lower part of the support feet.

[0010] Preferably, the printing support frame is composed of an upper support plate, a lower support plate, a support hanging plate, and a Z-direction slider; the upper support plate and the lower support plate are rigidly connected to the support hanging plate by screws; one side of the Z-direction slider realizes vertical movement through a ball screw pair, and the other side is rigidly connected to the support hanging plate.

[0011] Preferably, the three-axis motion system is composed of an X-axis moving mechanism, a Y-axis moving mechanism, a Z-axis moving mechanism, a limit sensor, a stepping motor, and a deposition platform; the X-axis moving mechanism, the Y-axis moving mechanism, and the Z-axis moving mechanism are driven by the same structure. Taking the X-axis moving mechanism as an example, the stepping motor is installed at one end of the X-axis moving mechanism and is connected to the X-direction transmission screw through a coupling. The X-direction transmission screw is installed inside the X-axis moving mechanism; the limit sensor is arranged on the operation base and is installed close to the Y-axis moving mechanism; the deposition platform is installed in the upper chute of the Y-axis moving mechanism.

[0012] Preferably, the multi-nozzle switching system is composed of a linear guide rail, a trolley, a synchronous belt, a tensioner, a driving wheel, and a driving motor; a rubber wheel is installed on the trolley, and the rubber wheel is installed in the gap of the linear guide rail; the tensioner and the driving wheel are respectively installed at both ends of the linear guide rail; the synchronous belt passes through the gap between the rubber wheel and the linear guide rail, and the inner side is closely attached to the tensioner and the driving wheel. Both ends of the synchronous belt are installed in the buckle of the trolley.

[0013] Preferably, the coaxial paste extrusion system consists of a through-type lead screw stepper motor, an extrusion head, a guide sleeve, a feeding device, a heating sleeve, and a coaxial printing nozzle; the through-type lead screw stepper motor is installed on the upper part of the trolley, and the lead screw is installed through the linear guide; the extrusion head is installed at the end of the through-type lead screw stepper motor; the guide sleeve is installed on the lower support plate of the printing support frame through fastening bolts; the feeding device is installed inside the heating sleeve; the feeding port of the coaxial printing nozzle is installed at the discharging port of the feeding device, and the perpendicularity between the coaxial printing nozzle and the deposition platform is maintained.

[0014] Preferably, the through-type lead screw stepper motor, the guide sleeve, the feeding device, and the coaxial printing nozzle are installed vertically, and the corresponding coaxiality between components is ensured.

[0015] Preferably, an emergency stop switch is installed on the operation base; the emergency stop switch is connected to the host computer through a motion control card.

[0016] The present invention also discloses a usage method of a multi-nozzle switching coaxial extrusion type biological 3D printer, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0017] (1) Press the start switch on the operation base to complete the reset and connection between the printer, the motion control card, and the host computer;

[0018] (2) Select the number of through-type lead screw stepper motors required for the printing work on the control panel of the host computer. The motion control card switches the through-type lead screw stepper motors participating in the printing work to the working positions through the multi-nozzle switching system, and preset the rotation speed of the through-type lead screw stepper motors through an external driver;

[0019] (3) Load the biological materials into the inside of the feeding device according to the inner and outer layer order of the printing structure, fix the guide sleeve and the feeding device together on the lower support plate of the printing support frame through fastening bolts, and install the feeding port of the coaxial printing nozzle at the discharging port of the feeding device;

[0020] (4) Import the STL file generated by modeling into the slicing software for processing. After setting parameters such as layer height, wire spacing, and printing speed through the slicing software, generate G-code that can be recognized by the machine. Load the G-code configuration file through the control panel of the host computer, and at the same time turn on the heat preservation device of the heating sleeve on the control panel, and select the automatic mode on the host computer control panel to start automatic printing;

[0021] (5) An emergency stop button is set on the operation base. After pressing the button, the printer can stop printing emergently in the automatic mode.

[0022] The benefits of this invention are as follows: the invention has the characteristics of high printing accuracy, a wide range of biomaterial selection, multi-material co-point printing, and the ability to meet the printing needs of high-viscosity materials. By using a through-type lead screw stepper motor as the power input of the coaxial slurry extrusion system, the biological 3D printer can meet the needs of extrusion printing of high-viscosity biomaterials such as hydroxyapatite and silk fibroin, greatly broadening the range of choices for printing materials; by setting up a multi-nozzle switching system with modular replaceable nozzles, it is possible to assemble and switch to select the appropriate number of nozzles according to the number of layers required for the inner and outer layers of the coaxial printing, thereby achieving up to five layers of printing to meet the needs of various customer groups. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 A front view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 A top view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 A side view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 A partial cross-sectional view of a multi-nozzle switching system in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] In the above figure:

[0029] 1. Operating base; 2. Lower support plate; 3. Upper support plate; 4. Z-axis moving mechanism; 5. Support hanging plate; 6. X-axis moving mechanism; 7. X-axis transmission screw; 8. Deposition platform; 9. Y-axis moving mechanism; 10. Limit sensor; 11. Extrusion head; 12. Stepper motor; 13. Through-type screw stepper motor; 14. Mounting screw; 15. Guide sleeve; 16. Heating sleeve; 17. Coaxial print nozzle; 18. Support foot; 19. Anti-slip pad; 20. Linear guide; 21. Start and stop button; 22. Emergency stop knob; 23. Manual discharge button; 24. Reset button; 25. Feeding device; 26. Z-axis slider; 27. Support column; 28. Y-axis transmission screw; 29. ​​Tensioner; 30. Pulley; 31. Rubber wheel; 32. Synchronous belt; 33. Drive motor; 34. Drive wheel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0031] Example 1

[0032] Reference Figures 1-5 , a coaxial extrusion-type biological 3D printer with multi-nozzle switching, including an operation base 1, a printing support frame, a three-axis motion system, a multi-nozzle switching system, and a coaxial slurry extrusion system. The three-axis motion system is installed above the operation base 1 according to the spatial motion during printing work; the multi-nozzle switching system is installed on the upper support plate (3) of the printing support frame; the coaxial slurry extrusion system is fixed through the upper support plate 3 and the lower support plate 2 of the printing support frame to ensure stable transmission and improve printing accuracy; on the operation base 1, there are an emergency stop knob 22, a manual discharging button 23, a reset button 24, and a start / stop button 22, which are used to adjust the printing process in the automatic printing mode and manually stop printing in case of printing abnormalities; at the bottom of the operation base 1, support feet 18 are installed, and anti-slip pads 19 are installed at the lower part of the support feet 18 to ensure the stable operation of the printer and maintain the horizontal position of the deposition platform.

[0033] The three-axis motion system consists of an X-axis moving mechanism 6, a Y-axis moving mechanism 9, a Z-axis moving mechanism 4, a limit sensor 10, a stepping motor 12, and a deposition platform 8; the X-axis moving mechanism 6, the Y-axis moving mechanism 9, and the Z-axis moving mechanism 4 are driven by the same structure. Taking the X-axis moving mechanism 6 as an example, the stepping motor (12) is installed at one end of the X-axis moving mechanism 6 and is connected to the X-direction transmission screw rod 7 through a coupling. The X-direction transmission screw rod 7 is installed inside the X-axis moving mechanism 6; the limit sensor 10 is set on the operation base 1 and is installed close to the Y-axis moving mechanism 9 to ensure the safety of the operator during printing and prevent the moving mechanism from hitting the mechanical system beyond the limit; the deposition platform 8 is installed in the upper chute of the Y-axis moving mechanism 9.

[0034] The multi-nozzle switching system consists of a linear guide 20, a trolley 30, a synchronous belt 32, a tensioner 29, a driving wheel 34, and a driving motor 33; a rubber wheel 31 is installed on the trolley 30, and the rubber wheel 31 is installed in the gap of the linear guide 20; the tensioner 29 and the driving wheel 34 are respectively installed at both ends of the linear guide 20 to ensure the tension of the synchronous belt 32 and make the multi-nozzle switching system operate more smoothly; the synchronous belt 32 passes through the gap between the rubber wheel 31 and the linear guide 20, and the inner side is closely attached to the tensioner 29 and the driving wheel 34. Both ends of the synchronous belt 32 are installed in the buckle of the trolley 30.

[0035] The described coaxial paste extrusion system is composed of a through-type lead screw stepping motor 13, an extrusion head 11, a guide sleeve 15, a feeding device 25, a heating sleeve 16, and a coaxial printing nozzle 17; the through-type lead screw stepping motor 13 is installed on the upper part of the trolley 30, and the lead screw is installed through the linear guide 20 to ensure that the extrusion device has a large extrusion pressure and ensure the smooth extrusion of the paste when printing high-viscosity materials; the extrusion head 11 is installed at the end of the through-type lead screw stepping motor 13; the guide sleeve 15 is installed on the lower support plate 2 of the printing support frame through a fastening bolt; the feeding device 25 is installed inside the heating sleeve 16 to keep the printing paste in a molten state, improving the printing accuracy and printing success rate; the feed inlet of the coaxial printing nozzle 17 is installed at the discharge outlet of the feeding device 25, and the perpendicularity between the coaxial printing nozzle 17 and the deposition platform 8 is maintained.

[0036] The through-type lead screw stepping motor 13, the guide sleeve 15, the feeding device 25, and the coaxial printing nozzle 17 are installed vertically, and the corresponding coaxiality between the components is ensured, so that the extrusion device will not deform during the printing process, with high precision, and stable printing of higher-viscosity materials can be achieved.

[0037] The present invention also discloses a usage method of a multi-nozzle switching coaxial extrusion type biological 3D printer, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0038] (1) Press the start switch on the operation console to complete the reset and connection between the printer, the motion control card, and the host computer;

[0039] (2) Select the number of through-type lead screw stepping motors required for the printing work on the control panel of the host computer. The motion control card switches the through-type lead screw stepping motors participating in the printing work to the working positions through the multi-nozzle switching system, and preset the rotation speed of the through-type lead screw stepping motors through an external driver;

[0040] (3) Load the biological materials into the feeding device in the order of the inner and outer layers of the printing structure respectively, fix the guide sleeve and the feeding device together on the lower support plate of the printing support frame through a fastening bolt, and install the feed inlet of the coaxial printing nozzle at the discharge outlet of the feeding device;

[0041] (4) Import the STL file generated by modeling into the slicing software for processing. After setting parameters such as layer height, filament spacing, and printing speed through the slicing software, generate G-code that can be recognized by the machine. Load the G-code configuration file through the control panel of the host computer. At the same time, turn on the heat preservation device of the heating sleeve on the control panel, and select the automatic mode on the host computer control panel to start automatic printing;

[0042] There is an emergency stop button on the operation base. After pressing the button, the printer can stop printing emergently in the automatic mode.

[0043] The above are only the preferred specific embodiments of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, according to the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, making equivalent substitutions or changes, shall be covered by the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A coaxial extrusion type biological 3D printer with multi-nozzle switching, comprising an operation base table (1), a printing support frame, a three-axis motion system, a multi-nozzle switching system and a coaxial slurry extrusion system, characterized in that, The described three-axis motion system is installed above the operation base (1) according to the spatial motion during printing work; the multi-nozzle switching system is installed on the upper support plate (3) of the printing support frame; the coaxial slurry extrusion system is fixed through the upper support plate (3) and the lower support plate (2) of the printing support frame; the operation base (1) is provided with an emergency stop knob (22), a manual discharging button (23), a reset button (24) and a start / stop button (22); the bottom of the operation base (1) is installed with support feet (18), and anti-slip pads (19) are installed at the lower part of the support feet (18).

2. The coaxial extrusion type biological 3D printer with multi-nozzle switching according to claim 1, wherein The described printing support frame is composed of an upper support plate (3), a lower support plate (2), a support hanging plate (5) and a Z-axis slider (26); the upper support plate (3) and the lower support plate (2) are rigidly connected to the support hanging plate (5) by screws; one side of the Z-axis slider (26) realizes vertical movement through a ball screw pair, and the other side is rigidly connected to the support hanging plate (5).

3. The coaxial extrusion type biological 3D printer with multi-nozzle switching according to claim 1, characterized in that, The described three-axis motion system is composed of an X-axis moving mechanism (6), a Y-axis moving mechanism (9), a Z-axis moving mechanism (4), a limit sensor (10), a stepping motor (12) and a deposition platform (8); the X-axis moving mechanism (6), the Y-axis moving mechanism (9) and the Z-axis moving mechanism (4) are driven by the same structure. Taking the X-axis moving mechanism (6) as an example, the stepping motor (12) is installed at one end of the X-axis moving mechanism (6) and is connected to the X-direction transmission lead screw (7) through a coupling. The X-direction transmission lead screw (7) is installed inside the X-axis moving mechanism (6); the limit sensor (10) is arranged on the operation base (1) and is installed close to the Y-axis moving mechanism (9); the deposition platform (8) is installed in the upper chute of the Y-axis moving mechanism (9).

4. A coaxial extrusion type biological 3D printer with multi-nozzle switching according to claim 1, characterized in that, The described multi-nozzle switching system is composed of a linear guide rail (20), a trolley (30), a synchronous belt (32), a tensioner (29), a driving wheel (34) and a driving motor (33); a rubber wheel (31) is installed on the trolley (30), and the rubber wheel (31) is installed in the gap of the linear guide rail (20); the tensioner (29) and the driving wheel (34) are respectively installed at both ends of the linear guide rail (20); the synchronous belt (32) passes through the gap between the rubber wheel (31) and the linear guide rail (20), and the inner side is closely attached to the tensioner (29) and the driving wheel (34). Both ends of the synchronous belt (32) are installed in the buckle of the trolley (30).

5. A coaxial extrusion type biological 3D printer with multi-nozzle switching according to claim 1, characterized in that, The coaxial slurry extrusion system described above consists of a through-type screw stepper motor (13), an extrusion head (11), a guiding sleeve (15), a feeding device (25), a heating sleeve (16), and a coaxial printing nozzle (17); the through-type screw stepper motor (13) is installed on the upper part of the carriage (30), and the screw penetrates through and is installed on the linear guide (20); the extrusion head (11) is installed at the end of the through-type screw stepper motor (13); the guiding sleeve (15) is installed on the lower support plate (2) of the printing support frame through fastening bolts; the feeding device (25) is installed inside the heating sleeve (16); the feeding port of the coaxial printing nozzle (17) is installed at the discharging port of the feeding device (25), and the perpendicularity between the coaxial printing nozzle (17) and the deposition platform (8) is maintained.

6. The coaxial extrusion type biological 3D printer with multi-nozzle switching according to claim 5, characterized in that, The through-type screw stepper motor (13), the guiding sleeve (15), the feeding device (25), and the coaxial printing nozzle (17) are installed vertically, and the corresponding coaxiality between the components is ensured.

7. A coaxial extrusion type biological 3D printer with multi-nozzle switching according to claim 3, characterized in that, An emergency stop knob (22) is installed on the operation base table (1); the emergency stop knob (22) is connected to the upper computer through a motion control card.

8. A printing method of a multi-nozzle switching coaxial extrusion type biological 3D printer according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, It includes the following steps: (1) Press the start switch on the operation base table to complete the reset and connection between the printer, the motion control card, and the upper computer; (2) Select the number of through-type screw stepper motors required for the printing work on the control panel of the upper computer. The motion control card switches the through-type screw stepper motors participating in the printing work to the working positions through a multi-nozzle switching system, and preset the rotation speed of the through-type screw stepper motors through an external driver; (3) Load the biological materials into the inside of the feeding device in the order of the inner and outer layers of the printing structure. Fix the guiding sleeve and the feeding device together on the lower support plate of the printing support frame through fastening bolts, and install the feeding port of the coaxial printing nozzle at the discharging port of the feeding device; (4) Import the STL file generated by modeling into the slicing software for processing. After setting parameters such as layer height, filament spacing, and printing speed through the slicing software, generate G-code that can be recognized by the machine. Load the G-code configuration file through the control panel of the upper computer. At the same time, turn on the heat preservation device of the heating sleeve on the control panel, and select the automatic mode on the control panel of the upper computer to start automatic printing; (5) An emergency stop button is set on the operation base table. After pressing the button, the printer can stop printing emergently in the automatic mode.

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