Stereoscopic print printing method, device, equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The application provides a three-dimensional printing object printing method, device, equipment and storage medium, relates to the inkjet printing technical field, and solves the problem that ink flow between adjacent two surfaces on a three-dimensional printing object causes unqualified printing quality. The method comprises the following steps: S1, acquiring a preset thickness of a three-dimensional printing object surface that needs to be covered by inkjet; S2, the preset thickness acquires a printing mode, and the printing mode comprises an inkjet mode and a solidification mode; S3, performing inkjet covering on the three-dimensional printing object surface according to the inkjet mode; S4, solidifying the ink on the three-dimensional printing object surface according to the solidification mode; and S5, repeating steps S3 and S4 until printing is completed. By splitting the ink layer with the preset thickness into several times of printing and solidification, it is ensured that the ink cannot be attached to the surface due to a large amount, and the ink layer thickness on the surface and the adjacent surface cannot meet the printing requirements due to the flow to the other adjacent surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of inkjet printing technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, equipment and storage medium for printing three-dimensional substrates. Background Technology

[0002] Inkjet printing technology refers to the process of spraying ink as droplets from a printhead onto the surface of a substrate to create specific patterns and text according to printing requirements. With the development of inkjet printing technology and the evolution of printing needs, it is being used in more and more places to meet diverse printing needs. Current inkjet printing equipment ejects not only different colored inks from its printheads, but also other materials such as metals and liquid resins. When printing on a three-dimensional substrate, inkjet printing equipment needs to be controlled to print on the substrate. However, due to the fluidity of the ink, some ink may drip onto adjacent surfaces of the substrate (ink dripping), resulting in poor print quality. Furthermore, if the ink sprayed onto the substrate needs to protect it or serve other purposes, the ink layer should have a certain thickness. However, ink dripping causes ink to flow onto adjacent surfaces, resulting in insufficient ink layer thickness to fully protect the substrate. The ink flowing onto adjacent surfaces also affects the ink layer thickness on those surfaces, leading to defective or damaged products during use. This increases the product defect rate, wastes resources, and raises costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide a method, apparatus, device and storage medium for printing three-dimensional substrates, in order to solve the problem of unqualified printing quality caused by ink flow between two adjacent surfaces on a three-dimensional substrate in the prior art.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for printing three-dimensional substrates, the method comprising:

[0005] S1: Obtain the preset thickness of the surface of the 3D substrate that needs to be covered by inkjet printing;

[0006] S2: Obtain the printing mode according to the preset thickness, the printing mode including inkjet mode and curing mode;

[0007] S3: Apply inkjet coating to the surface of the three-dimensional substrate according to the inkjet pattern;

[0008] S4: Curing the ink on the surface of the three-dimensional substrate according to the curing mode;

[0009] S5: Repeat steps S3 and S4 until printing is complete.

[0010] Preferably, S2 includes:

[0011] Divide the ink layer into several layers according to the preset thickness, and obtain the ink layer thickness corresponding to each ink layer;

[0012] The inkjet mode is determined based on the number of ink layers and the thickness of the ink layers; the curing parameters of the corresponding ink layers are obtained based on the ink layer thickness, the curing parameters including curing time and curing power.

[0013] Preferably, the following is included before S3:

[0014] Acquire image data, and generate printing data based on the image data, the number of ink layers, and the ink layer thickness.

[0015] Preferably, when the ink layer in the inkjet mode includes a first ink layer and a second ink layer, and the curing mode includes pre-curing corresponding to the first ink layer and final curing corresponding to the second ink layer, step S5 includes:

[0016] The printhead is controlled to perform inkjet printing on the printing area according to the printing data corresponding to the first ink layer;

[0017] The ink layer on the printing area is pre-cured according to the curing parameters corresponding to the pre-curing.

[0018] The printhead is controlled to perform inkjet printing on the pre-cured ink layer according to the printing data corresponding to the second ink layer;

[0019] The ink layer is finally cured according to the curing parameters corresponding to the final curing.

[0020] Preferably, the curing parameters of the first ink layer corresponding to the pre-curing are determined based on the ink layer thickness of the first ink layer, and the curing parameters of the second ink layer corresponding to the final curing are determined based on the ink layer thickness of the second ink layer.

[0021] Preferably, the method further includes:

[0022] Obtain the printing area size of each surface of the three-dimensional substrate;

[0023] The printing order for inkjet printing on the surface is obtained by sorting the printed areas from smallest to largest.

[0024] The printhead is controlled to perform inkjet printing on the surface of the three-dimensional substrate according to the printing sequence.

[0025] Preferably, S2 includes:

[0026] Obtain the joint angle between two adjacent surfaces of the three-dimensional substrate;

[0027] The inkjet mode is determined based on the connection angle and the preset thickness.

[0028] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a three-dimensional substrate printing apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

[0029] The preset thickness module is used to obtain the preset thickness of the surface of the 3D substrate that needs to be covered by inkjet printing.

[0030] A printing mode module is used to obtain the printing mode based on the preset thickness, wherein the printing mode includes an inkjet mode and a curing mode;

[0031] An inkjet module is used to cover the surface of the three-dimensional substrate with inkjet according to the inkjet pattern.

[0032] A curing module is used to cure the ink on the surface of the three-dimensional substrate according to the curing mode;

[0033] The circulation module is used to repeat the inkjet module and the curing module until printing is complete.

[0034] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention provide a stereolithography printing apparatus, comprising: at least one processor, at least one memory, and computer program instructions stored in the memory, wherein when the computer program instructions are executed by the processor, the method of the first aspect described above is implemented.

[0035] Fourthly, embodiments of the present invention provide a storage medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the method of the first aspect described above.

[0036] In summary, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0037] The three-dimensional substrate printing method, apparatus, device, and storage medium provided in this invention obtain a printing mode by acquiring and preset a thickness. Based on the preset thickness, the number of ink layers to be divided and the corresponding ink volume to be ejected for each ink layer are determined, i.e., the inkjet mode. Since each inkjet print requires UV lamp irradiation for curing after each ink-covered printing, this invention divides the ink volume according to the preset thickness. The printhead is controlled to stack ink layers one after another on the substrate surface, obtaining an ink layer of the preset thickness. During printing, the UV lamp is controlled to perform repeated light curing to prevent ink from flowing onto other adjacent surfaces. This invention, by dividing the ink volume to be ejected and printing in stages, and curing the ink after each print, ensures that the ink will not be unable to adhere to the surface due to a large volume, thus preventing it from flowing onto other adjacent surfaces and causing the ink layer thickness on those surfaces to not meet printing requirements. Attached Figure Description

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly introduced below. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort, and these are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the three-dimensional substrate printing method of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the three-dimensional substrate printing method of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional substrate and ink layer structure of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the split ink layer in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the three-dimensional substrate printing method of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the three-dimensional substrate printing method of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the three-dimensional substrate printing method of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 8This is a flowchart illustrating the three-dimensional substrate printing method of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the stereolithography printing device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the stereolithography printing device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will now be described in detail. To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only configured to explain the present invention and are not configured to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can be practiced without some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is merely intended to provide a better understanding of the present invention by illustrating examples of the invention.

[0050] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0051] Please see Figure 1 This invention provides a method for printing on a three-dimensional substrate, the method comprising:

[0052] S1: Obtain the preset thickness of the surface of the 3D substrate that needs to be covered by inkjet printing.

[0053] With the development of printing needs, inkjet printing is required on the surface of three-dimensional substrates of different shapes, and an ink layer of a certain thickness needs to be formed on the surface. When the ink layer is thick, if the print head is controlled to spray the ink volume that requires the ink layer thickness onto the printing area at one time, the ink will flow onto other surfaces, resulting in the ink layer thickness on the printing area not meeting the requirements. The ink layer thickness on adjacent surfaces will also be affected, resulting in the printing quality not meeting the requirements.

[0054] S2: Obtain the printing mode according to the preset thickness, the printing mode including inkjet mode and curing mode.

[0055] Specifically, in order to ensure that the ink can be cured in a timely manner, the sprayed ink needs to be cured in a timely manner. The thickness and number of ink layers corresponding to each layer during layer printing are determined according to the preset thickness, and the corresponding curing parameters are set according to the thickness of each ink layer.

[0056] The printing mode is determined based on the ink layer thickness and the number of layers. The printing mode is the number of times the printhead scans and sprays ink onto the printing area during printing, including the number of scans and ink sprays corresponding to each ink layer, the ink spray thickness of a single scan, and the total number of scans and ink sprays.

[0057] Since a certain thickness of ink layer needs to be formed on the surface of the three-dimensional substrate, in order to improve printing efficiency and ensure printing quality, a curing lamp is needed to irradiate and cure the ink so that it can cure quickly.

[0058] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, S2: Obtaining the printing mode according to the preset thickness, the printing mode includes an inkjet mode and a curing mode, including:

[0059] S21: Divide the ink layer into several ink layers according to the preset thickness, and obtain the ink layer thickness corresponding to each ink layer.

[0060] S22: Determine the inkjet mode based on the number of ink layers and the thickness of the ink layers;

[0061] S23: Obtain the curing parameters of the corresponding ink layer based on the ink layer thickness, the curing parameters including curing time and curing power.

[0062] Specifically, such as Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, ink m of a certain thickness is sprayed and applied. Based on the properties of the ink and the printing requirements, the ink m on the surface of the three-dimensional substrate j is split into several ink layers 1, 2, ..., n. The thickness of each ink layer is obtained, and the curing parameters of the curing lamp after printing the ink layer are determined based on the thickness.

[0063] The number of scans for each ink layer and the scan thickness for each scan are determined based on the thickness of each ink layer and the printhead accuracy.

[0064] In this embodiment, ink (m) is printed in stages to avoid excessive ink volume during a single inkjet print, which prevents the ink from curing in time and spreading to other adjacent surfaces. To ensure the curing quality of the ink layers and improve printing efficiency, the curing lamp must cure the ink on the printed area after each ink layer is printed. The curing parameters for the curing lamp, including the irradiation time and power, can be set according to the amount of ink ejected.

[0065] S3: Apply inkjet printing to the surface of the three-dimensional substrate once according to the inkjet printing mode.

[0066] In one embodiment, S3 includes: acquiring image data, and generating printing data based on the image data, the number of ink layers, and the ink layer thickness.

[0067] Specifically, the image data is acquired, and the image data is adjusted according to the number of ink layers and the thickness of the ink layers to generate printing data, so that when the printhead dispenses ink, the ink ejected can form an ink layer of a certain thickness on the printing area.

[0068] S4: Curing the ink on the surface of the three-dimensional substrate according to the curing mode.

[0069] Specifically, according to S3, if an inkjet printing anomaly occurs in the printing area, after completing one inkjet print, the curing lamp is controlled to cure the ink on the printing area according to the curing parameters in the curing mode. The curing parameters include the curing lamp irradiation time (curing time) and the curing lamp power (curing power), which enables the ink to cure quickly, shortens the interval between two inkjet prints in the same area, and improves both curing efficiency and printing efficiency.

[0070] S5: Repeat steps S3 and S4 until printing is complete.

[0071] Specifically, according to steps S3 and S4, inkjet printing and ink curing are performed on the printing area. After curing, steps S3 and S4 are repeated according to the inkjet and curing modes, spraying the corresponding amount of ink onto the same printing area and then curing again. This forms another ink layer of a certain thickness on top of the previous ink layer. This process is repeated until a preset ink layer of thickness is obtained according to the inkjet and curing modes. This achieves the printing of an ink layer of a certain thickness on a three-dimensional substrate.

[0072] In one embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, the method further includes:

[0073] S51: Obtain the printing area size of each surface of the three-dimensional substrate;

[0074] S52: Sort the printed areas from smallest to largest to obtain the printing order for inkjet printing on the surface;

[0075] S53: Control the printhead to perform inkjet printing on the surface of the three-dimensional substrate according to the printing sequence.

[0076] When the printing area sizes of the different faces of the three-dimensional substrate are different, in order to ensure the printing effect, it is necessary to determine the printing order of the substrate surface according to the size of the printing area before printing the three-dimensional substrate. Inkjet printing should be performed on the small printing area to reduce the ink jetting during small area printing from flowing to the adjacent large area surface, thereby reducing the amount of ink flowing on the large area printing area and ensuring the printing effect.

[0077] The present invention provides a method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for printing three-dimensional substrates. It obtains a printing mode based on a preset thickness of ink coverage on the surface required for printing. After inkjet printing is completed, it determines the number of prints needed to achieve the preset thickness and the volume of ink to be ejected each time, i.e., the inkjet mode. Based on the requirement that the ink-covered printing area be cured by UV lamp irradiation after each inkjet print, the present invention divides the ink volume according to the preset thickness and controls the printhead to stack ink layers one after another on the substrate surface, obtaining an ink layer of the preset thickness. During printing, the UV lamp is controlled to perform repeated light curing to prevent ink from flowing onto other adjacent surfaces. By dividing the ink volume to be ejected, printing in stages, and curing the ink after each print, the present invention ensures that the ink will not be unable to adhere to the surface due to a large volume, thus preventing it from flowing onto other adjacent surfaces and causing the ink layer thickness on the surface and adjacent surfaces to not meet printing requirements.

[0078] In one embodiment, such as Figure 6 As shown, when the ink layer in the inkjet mode includes a first ink layer and a second ink layer, and the curing mode includes pre-curing corresponding to the first ink layer and final curing corresponding to the second ink layer, step S5 includes:

[0079] S51: Control the printhead to perform inkjet printing on the printing area according to the printing data corresponding to the first ink layer;

[0080] S52: Pre-cure the ink layer on the printing area according to the curing parameters corresponding to the pre-curing;

[0081] S53: Control the printhead to perform inkjet printing on the pre-cured ink layer according to the printing data corresponding to the second ink layer;

[0082] S54: Perform final curing of the ink layer according to the curing parameters corresponding to the final curing.

[0083] Specifically, the ink layer for inkjet printing is divided into a first ink layer and a second ink layer according to a preset thickness. The curing modes include pre-curing and final curing. The printhead is controlled to print the first ink layer on the printing area. After the first ink layer is printed, the curing lamp is controlled to cure the first ink layer according to the curing parameters corresponding to pre-curing. The printhead is then controlled to print the second ink layer on the first ink layer. After the second ink layer is printed, the curing lamp is controlled to cure the second ink layer according to the curing parameters corresponding to final curing.

[0084] The curing parameters for the first ink layer corresponding to the pre-curing are determined based on the ink layer thickness of the first ink layer, and the curing parameters for the second ink layer corresponding to the final curing are determined based on the ink layer thickness of the second ink layer. The curing parameters for each ink layer need to be determined based on the ink layer thickness to avoid problems such as over-curing of ink layers with less ink volume, leading to cracking, and affecting print quality, for example, when the thicknesses of the first and second ink layers are different.

[0085] In one embodiment, such as Figure 7 As shown, S2 includes:

[0086] S201: Obtain the connection angle between two adjacent surfaces of the three-dimensional substrate;

[0087] S202: Determine the inkjet mode based on the connection angle and the preset thickness.

[0088] When performing inkjet printing on the surface of a three-dimensional substrate, it was found that when printing an ink layer of a certain preset thickness, the number of times the printing is split and the thickness corresponding to each print are also related to the size of the connection angle between two adjacent surfaces of the three-dimensional substrate.

[0089] The connection angle is the angle formed by two adjacent surfaces, or it can be expressed as the angle formed by the normal vectors of two adjacent planes. The angle formed by the two surfaces is equal to the angle formed by the normal vectors of the two adjacent planes.

[0090] Specifically, the study revealed the ink flow patterns on adjacent surfaces at different junction angles, as shown in Table 1 below:

[0091]

[0092]

[0093] The table shows that ink flow decreases as the junction angle increases. Between 0 and 45 degrees, ink is more likely to flow onto adjacent surfaces, causing contamination. Between 45 and 90 degrees, ink flow is less, and between 90 and 150 degrees, there is almost no ink flow. For substrates with significantly different junction angles, the number of ink layers required varies. To prevent excessive ink flow onto adjacent surfaces, the thickness of each ink layer needs to be determined based on the junction angle. This ensures that, at the specified ink layer thickness, ink will not flow onto adjacent surfaces or its flow rate is minimal and will not affect the print quality of adjacent surfaces.

[0094] Specifically, the ink flow of different thicknesses at the same junction angle is obtained to determine the ink layer thickness corresponding to the junction angle based on the flow. When ink of the specified thickness is formed on the substrate, it will not flow to the adjacent surface and cause contamination.

[0095] Determining the inkjet mode based on ink layer thickness and printhead precision includes: obtaining the number of ink layers based on ink layer thickness and preset thickness, and determining the inkjet mode based on the number of ink layers and the ink layer thickness.

[0096] The number of scans required to complete printing of each ink layer is determined based on the ink layer thickness and printhead precision, as well as the ink thickness of a single scan. The total number of scans is determined based on the number of scans corresponding to the ink layer and the number of ink layers.

[0097] The curing power and curing time of the curing lamp are determined based on the thickness of each ink layer, thus determining the curing mode.

[0098] At the same time, a curve Z = f(y) is created to show the relationship between the joint angle y and the inkjet thickness Z of a single scan. The inkjet thickness of a single scan corresponding to the joint angle can be directly obtained from the curve Z = f(y).

[0099] The three-dimensional substrate printing method, apparatus, device, and storage medium provided in this invention obtain the ink layer thickness of the corresponding surface by the joint angle of the substrate surface to be inkjet, and determine the printing mode (inkjet mode and curing mode) based on the ink layer thickness and a preset thickness; obtain the number of ink layers to be divided based on the preset thickness and ink layer thickness, obtain the single scan thickness (i.e., the ink data ejected in each scan) based on the number of ink layers and printhead accuracy, obtain the inkjet mode, and determine the curing time and curing power based on the thickness of each ink layer, with each ink layer corresponding to one curing, and obtain the curing mode.

[0100] Based on the principle that each inkjet print requires UV curing of the ink-covered area, this invention divides the ink volume into predetermined thicknesses. The printhead is controlled to stack ink layers according to these layers and their corresponding thicknesses, creating an ink layer of the predetermined thickness on the substrate. During printing, the UV lamp repeatedly cures the ink, preventing it from flowing onto adjacent surfaces. This invention, by dividing the ink volume into multiple prints and curing the ink after each print, ensures that the ink does not fail to adhere to the surface due to excessive volume, preventing it from flowing onto adjacent surfaces and causing the ink layer thickness on those surfaces to fail to meet printing requirements.

[0101] Example 2

[0102] The three-dimensional substrate printing method provided in the above embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for printing on a three-dimensional substrate, the method comprising:

[0103] S10: Obtain the junction angle between two adjacent surfaces of the three-dimensional substrate and the ink viscosity of the inkjet printing ink;

[0104] S20: Perform inkjet printing on the surface of the substrate according to the ink viscosity and the connection angle, and obtain the ink layer thickness covered by a single scan inkjet corresponding to different ink viscosities and different connection angles.

[0105] S30: Obtain the preset thickness of the surface of the 3D substrate that needs to be covered by inkjet printing;

[0106] S40: Generate a printing mode based on the preset thickness and the ink layer thickness, wherein the printing mode includes an inkjet mode and a curing mode;

[0107] S50: Perform inkjet printing on the surface of the three-dimensional substrate according to the inkjet mode and the curing mode until printing is completed.

[0108] Specifically, the ink viscosity is obtained. Ink with different viscosities will affect the ink adhesion rate on the substrate surface to a certain extent. That is, the ink layer thickness covered by the printhead in a single scan of the same printing area. Due to the problem of the connection angle, the ink will flow to the adjacent surface, resulting in the ink thickness on the substrate surface being smaller than the ink layer thickness in the ideal case where there is no flow.

[0109] The ink layer thickness for a single inkjet print is determined based on ink viscosity and the overlap angle. The ink layer thickness for a single scan varies depending on the overlap angle. To facilitate printing, inkjet printing is performed on substrates with different overlap angles using ink of the same viscosity. The ink flow characteristics at different overlap angles are obtained. For overlap angles with similar or identical flow characteristics, the ink layer thickness for a single inkjet print is set to be the same. For example, when the overlap angle is A1, the flow characteristics are B1; when the overlap angle is A2, the flow characteristics are B2; and when the overlap angle is A3, the flow characteristics are B3. When B1 and B2 are similar or identical, the ink layer thickness for a single inkjet print at overlap angles A1 and A2 is set to be the same. When B3 differs significantly from B1 and B2, the ink layer thickness for a single inkjet print at overlap angle A3 is set to be different from the ink layer thickness for single inkjet prints at overlap angles A1 and A2.

[0110] In one embodiment, step S20: inkjet printing is performed on the substrate surface according to the ink viscosity and the joint angle to obtain the ink layer thickness covered by a single scan inkjet corresponding to different ink viscosities and different joint angles, including:

[0111] Establish the correspondence between different ink viscosities, different junction angles and the ink layer thickness covered by a single sweep inkjet;

[0112] Based on the correspondence, the ink layer thickness covered by a single sweep of inkjet printing is obtained for each substrate surface.

[0113] Specifically, different ink viscosities are obtained, and inkjet printing is performed on surfaces with different contact angles based on inks of different viscosities. The flow is recorded to obtain the correspondence between different ink viscosities, different contact angles, and the ink layer thickness covered by a single sweep of inkjet printing.

[0114] At the same time, a curve Z = f(x, y) is created based on the corresponding relationship between ink viscosity x, joint angle y and ink layer thickness Z of a single inkjet coverage. Based on the curve Z = f(x, y), the ink layer thickness of a single sweep inkjet coverage corresponding to ink viscosity and joint angle can be directly obtained.

[0115] The three-dimensional substrate printing method, apparatus, device, and storage medium provided in this invention obtain the ink layer thickness covered by a single-scan inkjet by measuring the ink viscosity of the ink to be printed and the corresponding junction angle of the substrate surface. Based on the ink layer thickness covered by the single-scan inkjet and a preset thickness, a printing mode is obtained. Based on the preset thickness and ink layer thickness, the number of ink layers to be divided, the number of scans for each ink layer, the ink volume to be sprayed for each ink layer, and the ink data corresponding to each scan are obtained, i.e., the inkjet mode. Since each ink layer inkjet print requires UV lamp irradiation for curing after each ink layer is completed, this invention divides the ink area according to the preset ink volume and controls the printhead to stack ink layers one after another on the substrate surface, obtaining an ink layer of the preset thickness. During the printing process, the UV lamp is controlled to perform repeated light curing to prevent the ink from flowing onto other adjacent surfaces. This invention breaks down the amount of ink to be sprayed, prints in multiple stages during inkjet printing, and cures the ink after each print. This ensures that the ink will not fail to adhere to the surface due to the large quantity, and will not flow to other adjacent surfaces, causing the ink layer thickness on the surface and adjacent surfaces to not meet the printing requirements.

[0116] Example 3

[0117] Please see Figure 9 This invention provides a three-dimensional substrate printing apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

[0118] Preset thickness module 1 is used to obtain the preset thickness of the surface of the three-dimensional substrate that needs to be covered by inkjet printing;

[0119] Printing mode module 2 is used to obtain the printing mode for the preset thickness, wherein the printing mode includes inkjet mode and curing mode;

[0120] Inkjet module 3 is used to cover the surface of the three-dimensional substrate with inkjet according to the inkjet pattern;

[0121] Curing module 4 is used to cure the ink on the surface of the three-dimensional substrate according to the curing mode;

[0122] The circulation module 5 is used to repeat the inkjet module and the curing module.

[0123] The printing mode module includes:

[0124] The ink layer dividing unit is used to divide several ink layers according to the preset thickness, and at the same time obtain the ink layer thickness corresponding to each ink layer.

[0125] An inkjet pattern determination unit is used to determine the inkjet pattern based on the number of ink layers and the thickness of the ink layers.

[0126] The curing parameter setting unit is used to obtain the curing parameters of the corresponding ink layer according to the ink layer thickness, and the curing parameters include curing time and curing power.

[0127] The inkjet module 3 further includes: acquiring image data and generating printing data based on the image data, the number of ink layers, and the ink layer thickness.

[0128] The loop module 5 includes:

[0129] An area parameter acquisition unit is used to acquire the printing area size of each surface of the three-dimensional substrate;

[0130] The sorting unit is used to sort the printing areas from smallest to largest to obtain the printing order for inkjet printing on the surface.

[0131] An inkjet control unit is used to control the printhead to perform inkjet printing on the surface of the three-dimensional substrate according to the printing sequence.

[0132] When the ink layer in the inkjet mode includes a first ink layer and a second ink layer, and the curing mode includes a pre-curing corresponding to the first ink layer and a final curing corresponding to the second ink layer, the circulation module includes:

[0133] The first ink layer printing unit is used to control the printhead to perform inkjet printing on the printing area according to the printing data corresponding to the first ink layer.

[0134] A pre-curing unit is used to pre-cur the ink layer on the printing area according to the curing parameters corresponding to the pre-curing;

[0135] The second ink layer printing unit is used to control the printhead to perform inkjet printing on the pre-cured ink layer according to the printing data corresponding to the second ink layer.

[0136] The final curing unit is used to perform final curing of the ink layer according to the curing parameters corresponding to the final curing.

[0137] In one embodiment, the printing mode module 2 includes:

[0138] A joint angle acquisition unit is used to acquire the joint angle between two adjacent surfaces of the three-dimensional substrate;

[0139] The inkjet pattern determination unit is used to determine the inkjet pattern based on the connection angle and the preset thickness.

[0140] The 3D substrate printing device provided in this embodiment obtains a printing mode by determining the preset thickness corresponding to the amount of ink covering the substrate surface according to printing requirements. The preset thickness determines the number of ink layers, the number of scans for each ink layer, and the amount of ink to be sprayed per scan—that is, the inkjet mode. Based on the requirement that the ink-covered printing area needs UV lamp irradiation for curing after each inkjet print, this invention divides the ink volume according to the preset thickness and controls the printhead to stack ink layers one after another on the substrate surface, obtaining an ink layer of the preset thickness. During printing, the UV lamp is controlled to perform repeated light curing to prevent ink from flowing onto other adjacent surfaces. This invention, by dividing the ink volume to be sprayed, printing in stages, and curing the ink after each print, ensures that the ink is not insufficient to adhere to the surface due to excessive volume, preventing it from flowing onto other adjacent surfaces and causing the ink layer thickness on those surfaces to not meet printing requirements.

[0141] Example 4

[0142] In addition, combined Figure 1 The stereolithography method described in this embodiment of the invention can be implemented by a stereolithography printing device. Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of the stereolithography printing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0143] A stereolithography device may include a processor and a memory storing computer program instructions.

[0144] Specifically, the processor may include a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits that can be configured to implement embodiments of the present invention.

[0145] The memory may include a large-capacity storage device for data or instructions. For example, and not limitingly, the memory may include a hard disk drive (HDD), a floppy disk drive, flash memory, an optical disk drive, a magneto-optical disk drive, magnetic tape, or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive, or a combination of two or more of these. Where appropriate, the memory may include removable or non-removable (or fixed) media. Where appropriate, the memory may be internal or external to a data processing device. In a particular embodiment, the memory is a non-volatile solid-state memory. In a particular embodiment, the memory includes a read-only memory (ROM). Where appropriate, the ROM may be a mask-programmed ROM, a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), an electrically rewritable ROM (EAROM), or flash memory, or a combination of two or more of these.

[0146] The processor reads and executes computer program instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the stereolithography methods described in the above embodiments.

[0147] In one example, the stereolithography printing device may also include a communication interface and a bus. For example, Figure 10 As shown, the processor, memory, and communication interface are connected via a bus and communicate with each other.

[0148] The communication interface is mainly used to enable communication between various modules, devices, units and / or equipment in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0149] A bus, including hardware, software, or both, couples components of a stereolithography device together. For example, and not limitingly, a bus may include an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) or other graphics bus, an Enhanced Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, a Front Side Bus (FSB), HyperTransport (HT) interconnect, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, an Infinite Bandwidth Interconnect, a Low Pin Count (LPC) bus, a memory bus, a Microchannel Architecture (MCA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, a PCI-Express (PCI-X) bus, a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association Local (VLB) bus, or other suitable buses, or combinations of two or more of these. Where appropriate, a bus may include one or more buses. While specific buses are described and illustrated in embodiments of the invention, the invention contemplates any suitable bus or interconnect.

[0150] Furthermore, in conjunction with the stereolithography printing method in the above embodiments, this invention can be implemented using a computer-readable storage medium. This computer-readable storage medium stores computer program instructions; when these computer program instructions are executed by a processor, they implement any one of the stereolithography printing methods in the above embodiments.

[0151] In summary, the three-dimensional substrate printing method, apparatus, device, and storage medium provided in the embodiments of the present invention obtain a preset thickness of inkjet coverage required on the surface of the three-dimensional substrate. The preset thickness is used to obtain a printing mode, which includes an inkjet mode and a curing mode. The surface of the three-dimensional substrate is covered with inkjet once according to the inkjet mode, and the ink on the surface of the three-dimensional substrate is cured according to the curing mode. After curing, the inkjet and curing processes are repeated until printing is completed. This invention determines the printing mode based on a preset thickness of ink coverage on the surface required for printing. It also determines the number of prints needed to achieve the preset ink thickness after inkjet printing, and the volume of ink to be ejected each time (i.e., the inkjet mode). Since each inkjet print requires UV curing of the ink-covered area, this invention divides the ink volume according to the preset thickness and controls the printhead to stack ink layers one after another on the substrate surface, achieving the preset ink thickness. During printing, the UV lamp repeatedly cures the ink layer to prevent it from flowing onto adjacent surfaces. By dividing the ink volume to be ejected, printing in stages, and curing the ink after each print, this invention ensures that the ink is not insufficient to adhere to the surface due to large volume, preventing it from flowing onto adjacent surfaces and causing the ink layer thickness on those surfaces to not meet printing requirements.

[0152] It should be clarified that the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations and processes described above and shown in the figures. For the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of known methods are omitted here. In the above embodiments, several specific steps are described and shown as examples. However, the method process of the present invention is not limited to the specific steps described and shown. Those skilled in the art can make various changes, modifications, and additions, or change the order of steps, after understanding the spirit of the present invention.

[0153] The functional blocks shown in the above-described structural diagram can be implemented as hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. When implemented in hardware, they can be, for example, electronic circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), appropriate firmware, plug-ins, function cards, etc. When implemented in software, the elements of this invention are programs or code segments used to perform the required tasks. The programs or code segments can be stored on a machine-readable medium or transmitted over a transmission medium or communication link via data signals carried in a carrier wave. "Machine-readable medium" can include any medium capable of storing or transmitting information. Examples of machine-readable media include electronic circuits, semiconductor memory devices, ROM, flash memory, erasable ROM (EROM), floppy disks, CD-ROMs, optical disks, hard disks, fiber optic media, radio frequency (RF) links, etc. Code segments can be downloaded via computer networks such as the Internet, intranets, etc.

[0154] It should also be noted that the exemplary embodiments mentioned in this invention describe methods or systems based on a series of steps or apparatus. However, this invention is not limited to the order of the steps described above; that is, the steps can be performed in the order mentioned in the embodiments, or in a different order, or several steps can be performed simultaneously.

[0155] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, modules, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here. It should be understood that the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for printing on a three-dimensional substrate, characterized in that, The method includes: S1: Obtain the preset thickness of the surface of the 3D substrate that needs to be covered by inkjet printing; S2: Obtain the printing mode according to the preset thickness, the printing mode including inkjet mode and curing mode; S3: Apply inkjet coating to the surface of the three-dimensional substrate according to the inkjet pattern; S4: Curing the ink on the surface of the three-dimensional substrate according to the curing mode; S5: Repeat steps S3 and S4 until printing is complete; The method further includes: Obtain the printing area size of each surface of the three-dimensional substrate; The printing order for inkjet printing on the surface is obtained by sorting the printed areas from smallest to largest. The printhead is controlled to perform inkjet printing on the surface of the three-dimensional substrate according to the printing sequence.

2. The method for printing three-dimensional substrates according to claim 1, characterized in that, S2 includes: Divide the ink layer into several layers according to the preset thickness, and obtain the ink layer thickness corresponding to each ink layer; The inkjet mode is determined based on the number of ink layers and the thickness of the ink layers; the curing parameters of the corresponding ink layers are obtained based on the ink layer thickness, the curing parameters including curing time and curing power.

3. The method for printing three-dimensional substrates according to claim 2, characterized in that, Before S3, the following are included: Acquire image data, and generate printing data based on the image data, the number of ink layers, and the ink layer thickness.

4. The method for printing three-dimensional substrates according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the ink layer in the inkjet mode includes a first ink layer and a second ink layer, and the curing mode includes a pre-curing corresponding to the first ink layer and a final curing corresponding to the second ink layer, step S5 includes: The printhead is controlled to perform inkjet printing on the printing area according to the printing data corresponding to the first ink layer; The ink layer on the printing area is pre-cured according to the curing parameters corresponding to the pre-curing. The printhead is controlled to perform inkjet printing on the pre-cured ink layer according to the printing data corresponding to the second ink layer; The ink layer is finally cured according to the curing parameters corresponding to the final curing.

5. The method for printing three-dimensional substrates according to claim 4, characterized in that, The curing parameters corresponding to the pre-curing of the first ink layer are determined based on the ink layer thickness of the first ink layer, and the curing parameters corresponding to the final curing of the second ink layer are determined based on the ink layer thickness of the second ink layer.

6. The method for printing three-dimensional substrates according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, S2 includes: Obtain the joint angle between two adjacent surfaces of the three-dimensional substrate; The inkjet mode is determined based on the connection angle and the preset thickness.

7. A three-dimensional substrate printing device, characterized in that, For implementing the stereolithography method as described in claim 6, the apparatus includes: The preset thickness module is used to obtain the preset thickness of the surface of the three-dimensional substrate that needs to be covered by inkjet printing; A printing mode module is used to obtain the printing mode based on the preset thickness, wherein the printing mode includes an inkjet mode and a curing mode; An inkjet module is used to cover the surface of the three-dimensional substrate with inkjet according to the inkjet pattern. A curing module is used to cure the ink on the surface of the three-dimensional substrate according to the curing mode; The circulation module is used to repeat the inkjet module and the curing module until printing is complete.

8. A three-dimensional substrate printing device, characterized in that, include: At least one processor, at least one memory, and computer program instructions stored in the memory, which, when executed by the processor, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

9. A storage medium storing computer program instructions thereon, characterized in that, The method as described in any one of claims 1-6 is implemented when the computer program instructions are executed by the processor.

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