A type of drum printhead

Abstract

This application belongs to the field of additive manufacturing technology, specifically disclosing a drum-type printhead. The drum-type printhead includes a fixed module, a drum feeding module, a pushing module, and a heating module. The drum feeding module includes a drum body and a feeding structure. The drum body is detachably connected to the fixed module. The drum body has a storage cavity for storing bar stock and has a discharge port. The feeding structure pushes the bar stock from the drum body to the discharge port. The pushing module and heating module are both mounted on the fixed module. The heating module has a thermal extrusion channel. The output end of the pushing module, the discharge port of the drum body, and the thermal extrusion channel of the heating module are coaxially arranged. The pushing module pushes the bar stock at the discharge port into the thermal extrusion channel for heating and extrusion. The drum-type printhead of this application features a compact structure, convenient operation, and high adaptability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of additive manufacturing technology, and more specifically, relates to a drum-type printhead. Background Technology

[0002] Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing (MEAM) is an additive manufacturing technology based on a binder system. The core principle of this technology is to thoroughly mix powdered particles of metal, ceramic, or other functional materials with wax-based or polymer-based binders under heating and pressure, then extrude or injection mold them into rods with a relatively large diameter (typically ≥6mm), and finally use these rods for extrusion additive manufacturing of parts.

[0003] Compared to the fine filament raw materials (1.75mm or 2.85mm in diameter) used in traditional fused deposition modeling (FDM / FFF) technology, the rod stock used in material extrusion additive manufacturing technology has significant advantages: its large diameter design (up to 6mm or more) not only improves raw material loading efficiency but also avoids the storage space waste caused by filament entanglement. However, current traditional MEAM printheads suffer from complex structures, low efficiency, and difficult maintenance, severely limiting the application and expansion of material extrusion additive manufacturing technology in high-end manufacturing fields. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In response to the shortcomings or improvement needs of existing technologies, this application provides a drum-type printhead to improve the problems of complex structure, low efficiency and difficult maintenance of traditional MEAM printheads.

[0005] This application provides a drum-type printhead, comprising a fixing module, a drum feeding module, a feeding module, and a heating module, wherein:

[0006] The drum feeding module includes a drum body and a feeding structure. The drum body is detachably connected to the fixing module. The drum body has a storage cavity for storing bar stock and has a discharge port. The feeding structure is used to push the bar stock in the storage cavity one by one to the discharge port.

[0007] Both the pushing module and the heating module are mounted on the fixed module. The heating module has a hot extrusion channel inside. The output end of the pushing module, the discharge port of the drum body, and the hot extrusion channel of the heating module are coaxially arranged. The pushing module is used to push the bar material at the discharge port into the hot extrusion channel for heating and extrusion.

[0008] As a further preferred embodiment, the drum body is provided with a protruding structure, and the side wall of the drum body near the fixing module protrudes outward to form an arc-shaped plate structure, wherein:

[0009] The protruding structure and the arc-shaped plate structure together form a storage channel that spirals from the middle of the drum body to the outer edge of the drum body, and the bar stock can be arranged one by one in the storage channel along the extension direction of the storage channel.

[0010] The drum body is based on an arc-shaped plate structure to form the discharge port, and the arc-shaped inner wall surface of the arc-shaped plate structure serves as the guiding surface for the bar stock.

[0011] As a further preferred embodiment, the drum body includes a base and a drum cover, the drum cover and the base being detachable from each other to open the storage channel.

[0012] As a further preferred embodiment, the arc-shaped plate structure is disposed on the side of the base, and the protruding structure includes a first protruding structure disposed on the inner bottom wall of the base and a second protruding structure disposed on the end face of the drum cover.

[0013] After the drum cover and the base are connected to each other, the first protruding structure and the second protruding structure are distributed vertically and together with the arc-shaped plate structure to form a material storage channel, and a gap is formed between the first protruding structure and the second protruding structure for the material supply structure to extend into the material storage channel.

[0014] As a further preferred embodiment, a press-locking structure is provided between the fixing module and the drum body to connect the two.

[0015] As a further preferred embodiment, the feeding structure includes:

[0016] A pusher arm structure is rotatably connected to the drum body, and the pusher arm structure extends into the storage channel to push the material bar to move;

[0017] An elastic element is connected to the push arm and the drum body. The elastic element can release elastic potential energy after pre-tightening to drive the push arm to rotate and push the bar.

[0018] As a further preferred embodiment, the push arm structure includes:

[0019] A knob, which is rotatably mounted in the center of the drum body, and connected to the elastic element and the drum body;

[0020] The first push arm, which is fixedly connected to the knob, has a cantilevered portion extending toward the side wall of the drum body;

[0021] The second push arm is rotatably connected to the cantilever section and has a push end that extends into the storage channel. When the knob is rotated, the knob drives the second push arm through the first push arm, causing the push end of the second push arm to move along the extension direction of the storage channel.

[0022] As a further preferred embodiment, the heating module includes:

[0023] The throat has a preheating channel for guiding the bar stock;

[0024] A heater having heating channels for guiding the bar stock;

[0025] A nozzle having an extrusion channel for extruding material;

[0026] The preheating channel, heating channel, and extrusion channel are connected in series from top to bottom to form the hot extrusion channel, and the heater is used to heat and preheat the bar stock in the heating channel and preheating channel.

[0027] As a further preferred embodiment, the heating module further includes a front radiator and a side radiator, and heat dissipation fins are provided on the outer periphery of the throat, wherein:

[0028] The forward-facing radiator faces the heat sink and is used for convective heat dissipation of the heat sink;

[0029] The air outlet of the side radiator is located on the side of the nozzle and is used to cool the material extruded from the nozzle.

[0030] As a further preferred embodiment, the drum-type printhead also includes a protective shell with openings, which is detachably connected to the fixing module and covers the outside of the feeding module and the heating module.

[0031] In summary, compared with the prior art, the technical solutions conceived in this application have the following main technical advantages:

[0032] 1. The drum-type printhead in this design adopts a modular design, which makes the printhead highly integrated and features a simple and compact structure. In particular, the unique drum-type feeding design allows users to quickly change materials with one hand, making operation and maintenance extremely convenient. By coaxially setting the output end of the feeding module, the discharge port of the drum body, and the hot extrusion channel of the heating module, the feeding accuracy deviation can be minimized, significantly improving printing stability.

[0033] 2. This printhead can be installed in most printing devices with a fixed module as the installation basis, which is conducive to the cross-platform use of the printhead; with its unique modular design, it can achieve a balance of compact structure, cross-platform adaptability and ease of operation while ensuring printing accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a drum-type printhead provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a drum-type printhead provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of a drum-type printhead provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fixing module, the pushing module, the female head seat, and the heating module provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0038] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the drum body provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0039] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the drum body provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the base and feeding structure provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0041] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the drum cover provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding structure provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0043] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the heating module provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0044] In all the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same elements or structures, wherein:

[0045] 1. Fixed module; 2. Pushing module; 3. Heating module; 3-1. Throat; 3-1a. Heat sink; 3-2. Heater; 3-3. Nozzle; 3-4. Transition flange; 3-5. Front radiator; 3-6. Side radiator; 3-7. Air duct; 4. Drum body; 4-1. Discharge port; 4-2. Storage channel; 4-3. Base; 4-4. Drum cover; 4-5. Arc plate structure; 4-6. First protrusion structure; 4-7. Second protrusion structure; 5. Feeding structure; 5-1. Knob; 5-2. First push arm; 5-3. Second push arm; 6. Female head; 7. Male head; 8. Limit switch; 9. Protective shell. Detailed Implementation

[0046] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0047] Currently, the printhead design of existing MEAM devices generally suffers from prominent problems such as structural redundancy, poor adaptability, and difficult maintenance, which seriously restricts the promotion of this technology in industrial application scenarios.

[0048] While current mainstream MEAM printheads employ a split-structure design, physically separating components such as the feeding mechanism and heating module, this separation is often achieved through complex mechanical connectors (such as multiple brackets and adapter plates). This results in a bulky overall structure, excessive weight, and the need for additional external guiding components (such as linear guides and timing belts) to ensure the coordinated operation of each component.

[0049] This design reveals significant shortcomings when dealing with industrial multi-material printing or large-size equipment adaptation: First, the interface standards of different manufacturers' equipment are not uniform, which requires the redesign of the adapter structure when switching the printhead between different devices; second, when the feed gear is blocked or the heating rod malfunctions, maintenance personnel need to disassemble multiple fasteners and recalibrate, with an average maintenance time of more than 15 minutes; in addition, the traditional modular design fails to solve the problem of coordinated optimization between the feeding system and the motion platform, which seriously limits the high-frequency switching capability of multi-color / multi-material printing.

[0050] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies have proposed several improvement solutions, but all have significant limitations. For example, while quick-release feeding systems use snap-fit ​​connections to the material cylinder, manual adjustment of the feed gear spacing is still required during material changes; miniaturized printhead designs reduce volume by shortening the Bowden tube length, but this leads to a more than 30% increase in feeding resistance for flexible materials (such as TPU); some standardized interface solutions, while defining uniform mounting hole spacing, do not fully consider the differences in heated bed vibration characteristics across different printing models, making them prone to resonance phenomena with amplitudes exceeding 0.1mm during high-speed printing. More importantly, existing modular solutions generally fail to achieve synergistic optimization between functional centralization and volume reduction. While separating the feed module and heating module improves maintainability, the additional 150-200g of moving parts can reduce printing acceleration by up to 40%.

[0051] In summary, current MEAM printhead technology faces the challenge of achieving a balance between compact structure, cross-platform compatibility, and ease of operation while maintaining printing accuracy. Existing technologies have not yet provided a satisfactory solution, directly limiting the application and expansion of MEAM technology in high-end manufacturing. Therefore, a novel modular printhead design is urgently needed to fundamentally address these technical challenges.

[0052] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1-10 This application will be described in further detail.

[0053] This application discloses a drum-type printhead that achieves a balance between compact structure, cross-platform adaptability, and ease of operation while ensuring printing accuracy. (See also...) Figures 1-6 The drum-type printhead includes a fixed module 1, a drum feeding module, a pushing module 2, and a heating module 3. The drum feeding module includes a drum body 4 and a feeding structure 5. The drum body 4 is detachably connected to the fixed module 1. The drum body 4 has a storage cavity for storing bar stock and has a discharge port 4-1. The feeding structure 5 is used to push the bar stock in the drum body 4 one by one to the discharge port 4-1 of the drum body 4. The pushing module 2 and the heating module 3 are both mounted on the fixed module 1. The heating module 3 has a hot extrusion channel. The output end of the pushing module 2, the discharge port 4-1 of the drum body 4, and the hot extrusion channel of the heating module 3 are coaxially arranged. The pushing module 2 is used to push the bar stock at the discharge port 4-1 into the hot extrusion channel for heating and extrusion.

[0054] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the drum body 4 is provided with a storage channel 4-2 for arranging and placing bar stock. The storage channel 4-2 extends spirally to the outer wall of the drum body 4. The bar stock can be arranged one by one in the storage channel 4-2 along the extension direction of the storage channel 4-2, and the bar stock can reach the discharge port 4-1 as pushed by the pusher module 2, so that the bar stock is in the push position one by one, ensuring the stability and accuracy of the push.

[0055] Furthermore, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the drum body 4 is generally cylindrical, including a base 4-3 and a drum cover 4-4. The drum cover 4-4 is detachably connected to the base 4-3, and the drum cover 4-4 and the base 4-3 can be separated to open the storage channel 4-2. Both the drum cover 4-4 and the base 4-3 have hollowed-out side walls to facilitate observation of the feeding process and the amount of remaining bar stock.

[0056] Specifically, the drum body 4 has a protruding structure inside, and an arc-shaped plate structure 4-5 protrudes outward from the side wall of the drum body 4 near the fixing module 1. The protruding structure and the arc-shaped plate structure 4-5 together form a material storage channel 4-2 that spirals from the middle of the drum body 4 to the outer edge of the drum body 4. Preferably, the ratio of the pitch of the spiral material storage channel 4-2 to the diameter of the bar stock is 1.2:1 to 1.5:1 to ensure smooth movement of the bar stock.

[0057] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in some specific embodiments, the base 4-3 is a cylindrical shape with an open top and hollowed-out side walls. The drum cover 4-4 is detachably connected to the upper end of the base 4-3 (e.g., the drum cover 4-4 has a fixing bayonet structure, and the base 4-3 has a corresponding slot).

[0058] Furthermore, the protruding structure includes a first protruding structure 4-6 and a second protruding structure 4-7. The first protruding structure 4-6 is disposed on the inner bottom wall of the base 4-3 and extends in a spiral shape. The first protruding structure 4-6 is connected to the arc-shaped plate structure 4-5. The bottom center of the base 4-3 has an installation hole for installing the feeding structure 5. The side wall of the base 4-3 protrudes outward to form the arc-shaped plate structure 4-5.

[0059] The base 4-3 has a through hole on the inner side of the arc plate structure 4-5 that is coaxial with the output end of the pusher module 2. The arc plate structure 4-5 and the through hole form the discharge port 4-1 of the drum body 4, and the arc inner wall surface of the arc plate structure 4-5 and the inner wall surface of the through hole serve as the guiding surface of the bar stock.

[0060] The second protruding structure 4-7 is formed on the end face of the drum cover 4-4, and the extension path of the second protruding structure 4-7 is basically the same as the extension path of the first protruding structure 4-6. In this design, when the base 4-3 and the drum cover 4-4 are spliced ​​together, the first protruding structure 4-6 and the second protruding structure 4-7 maintain a certain distance. Figure 6 The gap shown is to ensure that the feeding structure 5 can extend into the storage channel along the gap to push the bar stock.

[0061] Of course, in some other embodiments, the second protruding structure 4-7 may not be provided on the end face of the drum cover 4-4, and the first protruding structure 4-6 may be used directly as the main component of the material storage channel 4-2. In this case, there should be a gap between the top of the first protruding structure 4-6 and the drum cover 4-4.

[0062] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the feeding structure 5 includes a push arm structure and an elastic element, wherein the push arm structure is rotatably connected to the drum body 4, and the push arm structure extends into the storage channel 4-2 to push the material bar to move; the elastic element is connected to the push arm and the drum body 4, and the elastic element can elastically recover after pre-tightening to drive the push arm to rotate and push the material bar, and can continuously pre-position the material bar at the discharge port 4-1.

[0063] Under this design, the feeding structure 5 does not have a complex mechanical transmission design such as feeding gears. Instead, it is based on the elastic recovery of the elastic element and the guidance of the storage channel 4-2. This design can achieve adaptive calibration of the bar stock position and does not require disassembly of too many parts during maintenance.

[0064] As a preferred option, such as Figure 9As shown, in some embodiments, the push arm structure includes a knob 5-1, a first push arm 5-2, and a second push arm 5-3. The knob 5-1 is rotatably mounted at the center of the drum body 4 and is connected to the elastic element and the drum body 4. The first push arm 5-2 is fixedly connected to the knob 5-1 and has a cantilevered portion extending toward the side wall of the drum body 4. The second push arm 5-3 is rotatably connected to the cantilevered portion and has a pushing end extending into the storage channel 4-2, preferably having a rod-shaped structure.

[0065] When knob 5-1 is rotated, knob 5-1 drives second push arm 5-3 through first push arm 5-2, causing the pushing end of second push arm 5-3 to move along the extension direction of storage channel 4-2, pushing the bar material to move towards discharge port 4-1.

[0066] Furthermore, such as Figure 6 As shown, the elastic element includes, but is not limited to, a coil spring (not shown in the figure). When a coil spring is used as the elastic element, a cavity is formed at the mounting hole of the base 4-3, the inner coil of the coil spring is fixed to the knob 5-1, and the outer coil of the coil spring is fixed inside the cavity. Furthermore, the base 4-3 has a removable cover for closing the cavity, and the cover has a through hole for the knob 5-1 to pass through.

[0067] In actual use, by rotating knob 5-1, the rotation of knob 5-1 causes the coil spring to contract, storing elastic potential energy. After releasing knob 5-1, the elastic potential energy is released through the coil spring, causing the coil spring to rotate, which in turn causes the first push arm 5-2 and the second push arm 5-3 to rotate, pushing the bar outward along the storage channel 4-2 to the discharge port 4-1. Under the action of the elastic potential energy of the coil spring, one side of the bar at the discharge port 4-1 is restricted by the arc plate structure 4-5, while the other side is subjected to a lateral resistance force under the action of the elastic potential energy, so as to achieve precise positioning of the bar at the discharge port 4-1.

[0068] Furthermore, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, a press-locking structure for connecting the fixing module 1 and the drum body 4 is provided. Preferably, the press-locking structure includes a female head 6 and a male head 7, which preferably adopt a spring groove locking form to achieve press-locking, so that the drum body 4 can be quickly installed with the fixing module 1.

[0069] Specifically, such as Figure 4 As shown, the female head seat 6 is installed in the fixed module 1. The female head seat 6 has a grooved spring for engaging the male head seat 7. The female head seat 6 serves as a fixed end and has a semi-circular slot structure on the side facing the drum feeding module to facilitate the alignment of the feeding structure and to align the push rod and the center of the bar. It has an angled ring structure below to correct any possible bar tilting.

[0070] The male connector 7 is mounted on the side of the drum body 4 and located at the discharge port 4-1. By pressing the male connector 7 into the female connector 6, the male connector 7 can be self-locked in the spring of the female connector 6, thereby achieving quick installation and positioning between the drum body 4 and the fixing module 1 and ensuring correct feeding position. By pulling the drum body 4, the drum body 4 can be quickly separated from the fixing module 1. In some specific implementations, the main structure of the female connector 6 can be integrally machined as part of the fixing module 1.

[0071] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the feeding module 2 includes a push rod motor, which is fixed on the fixing module 1. The central axis of the push rod is coaxial with the through hole at the discharge port of the drum feeding module to ensure the stability of feeding.

[0072] In some specific embodiments, the pusher motor itself has a push rod, which is usually a lead screw passing through the pusher motor. The pusher motor can be a stepper motor or a servo motor. When the motor rotates, it drives the push rod to move up and down. When the push rod is pushed upward, it will trigger the limit switch 8 installed on the fixed module 1 above it after a certain distance. This position can be set as the origin position of the push rod in the software (the principle of this setting is existing technology and will not be described in detail here) to facilitate better control of the pushing process.

[0073] In other embodiments, the feeding module 2 includes a friction wheel and a drive motor. The friction wheel can contact the bar stock. By driving the friction wheel to rotate through the drive motor, the bar stock can be moved by the friction wheel. In this improvement, the material outlet of the drum-type feeding module needs to have a corresponding hollow design to meet the requirements of the friction wheel contacting the bar stock.

[0074] Furthermore, in some embodiments, such as Figure 10 As shown, the heating module 3 includes a throat 3-1, a heater 3-2, and a nozzle 3-3. The throat 3-1 is located below the drum feed module and has a preheating channel for guiding the bar stock. The heater 3-2 is located below the throat 3-1 and has a heating channel for guiding the bar stock. The nozzle 3-3 is located below the heater 3-2 and has an extrusion channel for extruding the material. The preheating channel, heating channel, and extrusion channel are connected in series to form a continuous hot extrusion channel. The heater 3-2 can heat the bar stock in the heating channel and preheat the bar stock in the preheating channel.

[0075] Specifically, the upper part of the throat 3-1 is connected to the transition flange 3-4. The transition flange 3-4 is a flange with a certain length and the flange face is machined with fixing threads. The upper part of the transition flange 3-4 is assembled and fixed to the annular structure by multiple screws so that the bar stock can move correctly along the direction of the transition flange 3-4, throat 3-1, heater 3-2, and nozzle 3-3 with a path deviation ≤0.1mm.

[0076] More preferably, the heater 3-2 is a heating head, which is connected to the nozzle 3-3 at the bottom and to the throat 3-1 at the top. The heating head has a groove, in which heating elements and temperature sensors are installed. The heating elements and temperature sensors control the temperature at a suitable value to reach the melting temperature of the bar stock, while simultaneously conducting some of the heat to the throat 3-1 to preheat the bar stock.

[0077] In some preferred embodiments, the heating head is further covered with a silicone sleeve to ensure the heating rate; preferably, the silicone sleeve is a high-temperature resistant silicone sleeve with a thickness of 2-3mm (Shore hardness 50A-70A), and the gap between its inner surface and the heating head is ≤0.2mm. In actual use, by using a temperature controller to collect the temperature parameters of the temperature sensor and dynamically adjusting the output power of the heating element, the temperature of the heating head can be ensured to be within the set range.

[0078] Furthermore, the discharge orifice size of nozzle 3-3 can be designed according to printing needs, and its size can reach 0.2mm.

[0079] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the heating module 3 further includes a front radiator 3-5 and a side radiator 3-6, and heat sinks 3-1a are provided on the outer periphery of the throat 3-1; wherein, a fixing plate is fixed on the transition flange 3-4, and the front radiator 3-5 and the side radiator 3-6 are fixed on the fixing plate. The front radiator 3-5 faces the radiator and is used for convective cooling of the heat sinks 3-1a; the air outlet of the side radiator 3-6 is located on the side of the nozzle 3-3 and is used to cool the material extruded by the nozzle 3-3. Preferably, there are two side radiators 3-6, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the nozzle 3-3. The side radiator 3-6 includes a fan and an air duct 3-7. In actual use, the air volume can be controlled by PWM through a host computer.

[0080] In some specific embodiments, the inner diameter of the preheating channel can be slightly larger than the diameter of the bar stock, and its length can be adjusted appropriately according to the length of the bar stock. The heat sink 3-1a is usually two heat sink fins with a semi-circular structure in the middle. The two heat sink fins 3-1a are combined to cover the throat tube 3-1 and thermal grease is applied to achieve cooling of the throat tube 3-1. The throat tube 3-1 is threadedly connected to the heating head.

[0081] In this design, a heat sink 3-1a is used to cover the outside of the throat 3-1, and a front heat sink 3-5 is used to convect and dissipate heat from the heat sink 3-1a, which can prevent the throat 3-1 from overheating. The side heat sink 3-6 is a side exhaust mode, and the airflow is guided to the extruded semi-solid material through the air ducts 3-7 on both sides of the fan mounting plate, which accelerates its cooling speed. The airflow direction is at an angle of 30°-60° with the movement direction of the extruded material.

[0082] In some embodiments, the drum-type printhead further includes a protective shell 9 with openings, which is detachably connected to the fixing module 1. The protective shell 9 covers the outside of the feeding module 2, the heating module 3, and the extrusion module. The fixing module 1 is preferably a standardized fixing module with mounting holes, which are standard threaded holes or aluminum profile interfaces, and can be adapted to most industrial-grade 3D printing equipment.

[0083] Specifically, a connecting plate is installed on the back of the fixing plate of the fixing module 1 by screws. The connecting plate protrudes from both sides of the fixing plate and has mounting holes. The fixing module 1 can be switched and installed between different devices through the connecting plate (the connecting plate can be replaced if necessary).

[0084] Specifically, the aforementioned push rod motor, limit switch 8, and spring drum feeding module are all fixed on the fixing plate of the fixing module 1. The back of the fixing plate is connected to the wire trough box. The cables of all components are routed through the back to reduce spatial interference and achieve synergistic optimization of functional concentration and volume compression.

[0085] In addition, the entire printhead is encapsulated on a mounting plate by a protective shell 9. The protective shell 9 has an opening on its top for attaching quick-release connectors, such as aviation connectors, facilitating the installation and removal of the printhead. The protective shell 9 also has openings on its sides for ventilation and heat dissipation.

[0086] In some embodiments, the functional material of the bar used for extrusion printing may be metal, ceramic, or a combination of both, as well as other powder materials, and the binder material may be wax-based, polymer-based, or other materials with low melting points.

[0087] In actual use, this drum-type printhead can be used for additive manufacturing based on materials. The printed parts are degreased and sintered to complete the final product. The drum feeding module used in this design can feed materials in real time, reducing the time spent on material changing and improving the overall production efficiency of parts.

[0088] This design, through innovative modular design and a press-locking drum feeding mechanism, enables efficient and stable material extrusion molding. The printhead employs a coaxial design between the pusher module 2 and the drum body 4, ensuring a feeding accuracy deviation of less than 0.1mm. It also integrates a temperature control system, keeping material temperature fluctuations within ±2℃, significantly improving printing stability. Furthermore, this design eliminates the need for complex mechanical connectors and external guide components, resulting in a compact overall structure and lighter weight.

[0089] Furthermore, the unique drum-type feeding design of this application supports quick one-handed material changing, which helps to reduce the operation time to less than 3 seconds. Combined with the standardized fixing module 1, it can be adapted to most industrial-grade 3D printing equipment. Moreover, the whole machine adopts an integrated cable management shell design, which can avoid cable tangling problems, and the quick-release structure of the feeding module 2 improves maintenance efficiency.

[0090] In addition, this design is particularly suitable for high-filler (60 vol%) metal / ceramic composite bars with a diameter of 6 mm or more. The lateral forced air cooling system increases the material cooling rate by 40%, effectively reducing interlayer thermal stress deformation. It provides a reliable solution for additive manufacturing of high-quality complex parts and is conducive to expanding the application of MEAM technology in high-end manufacturing.

[0091] In addition, in some embodiments, multiple drum printheads can be combined to achieve multi-material mixed printing or batch printing.

[0092] It should be understood that expressions such as "comprising" and "may include" as used in this application indicate the existence of the disclosed functions, operations, or constituent elements, and do not limit one or more additional functions, operations, and constituent elements. In this application, terms such as "comprising" and / or "having" may be interpreted as indicating a specific characteristic, number, operation, constituent element, component, or combination thereof, but should not be interpreted as excluding the existence or possibility of adding one or more other characteristics, numbers, operations, constituent elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0093] It should be understood that the terms “center,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “inner,” “outer,” “clockwise,” “counterclockwise,” “axial,” “radial,” and “circumferential” indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0094] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0095] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0096] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A cartridge type printhead, characterized by, It comprises a fixed module (1), a spring drum feeding module, a pushing module (2) and a heating module (3), wherein: The spring drum feeding module comprises a spring drum body (4) and a feeding structure (5), the spring drum body (4) is detachably connected with the fixed module (1), a storage cavity for storing the rod material and provided with a discharging port (4-1) is arranged in the spring drum body (4), and the feeding structure (5) is used for pushing the rod material in the storage cavity to the discharging port (4-1) one by one. The pushing module (2) and the heating module (3) are both arranged on the fixed module (1), a hot extrusion channel is formed in the heating module (3), the output end of the pushing module (2), the discharging port (4-1) of the spring drum body (4) and the hot extrusion channel of the heating module (3) are coaxially arranged, and the pushing module (2) is used for pushing the rod material at the discharging port (4-1) into the hot extrusion channel for heating extrusion. The spring drum body (4) is provided with a protruding structure, an arc plate structure (4-5) is formed on the side wall of the spring drum body (4) close to the fixed module (1) and protruding outward, wherein: The protruding structure and the arc plate structure (4-5) jointly enclose a storage channel (4-2) extending from the middle part of the spring drum body (4) to the outer edge of the spring drum body (4), and the rod material can be arranged in the storage channel (4-2) one by one along the extension direction of the storage channel (4-2); The spring drum body (4) encloses the discharging port (4-1) based on the arc plate structure (4-5), and the arc inner wall surface of the arc plate structure (4-5) is used as the guide surface of the rod material; The feeding structure (5) comprises: A pushing arm structure is rotatably connected with the spring drum body (4), the pushing arm structure extends into the storage channel (4-2) to push the rod material; An elastic member is connected with the pushing arm and the spring drum body (4), and the elastic member can release the elastic potential energy after pre-tightening to drive the pushing arm to rotate and push the rod material.

2. The cartridge-type printhead of claim 1 wherein, The spring drum body (4) comprises a base (4-3) and a drum cover (4-4), the drum cover (4-4) and the base (4-3) can be detachably separated to open the storage channel (4-2).

3. The cartridge-type printhead of claim 2 wherein, The arc plate structure (4-5) is arranged on the side of the base (4-3), the protruding structure comprises a first protruding structure (4-6) arranged on the inner bottom wall of the base (4-3) and a second protruding structure (4-7) arranged on the end face of the drum cover (4-4); After the drum cover (4-4) and the base (4-3) are connected with each other, the first protruding structure (4-6) and the second protruding structure (4-7) are distributed above and below and jointly enclose the storage channel (4-2) with the arc plate structure (4-5), and a gap for the feeding structure (5) to extend into the storage channel (4-2) is formed between the first protruding structure (4-6) and the second protruding structure (4-7).

4. The cartridge-type printhead of claim 1 wherein, A pressing self-locking structure is arranged between the fixed module (1) and the spring drum body (4) for connecting the two.

5. The cartridge-type printhead of claim 1 wherein, The pushing arm structure comprises: A knob (5-1) rotatably arranged at the center of the cartridge body (4) and connected with the elastic member and the cartridge body (4); A first push arm (5-2) fixedly connected with the knob (5-1) and having an overhanging portion extending towards the sidewall of the cartridge body (4); A second push arm (5-3) rotationally connected with the overhanging portion and having a pushing end extending into the storage channel (4-2), when the knob (5-1) rotates, the knob (5-1) drives the second push arm (5-3) through the first push arm (5-2), so that the pushing end of the second push arm (5-3) moves along the extension direction of the storage channel (4-2).

6. The cartridge-type printhead of claim 1 wherein, The heating module (3) comprises: A throat pipe (3-1) having a preheating channel for guiding the rod material; A heater (3-2) having a heating channel for guiding the rod material; A nozzle (3-3) having an extrusion channel for extruding the material; The preheating channel, the heating channel and the extrusion channel are sequentially connected from top to bottom to form the hot extrusion channel, and the heater (3-2) is used for heating and preheating the rod material in the heating channel and the preheating channel.

7. The cartridge-type printhead of claim 6 wherein, The heating module (3) further comprises a forward radiator (3-5) and a lateral radiator (3-6), and the outer periphery of the throat pipe (3-1) is provided with a cooling fin (3-1a), wherein: The forward radiator (3-5) faces the cooling fin (3-1a) and is used for convective cooling of the cooling fin (3-1a); The air outlet of the lateral radiator (3-6) is located on the side of the nozzle (3-3), and is used for cooling the material extruded by the nozzle (3-3).

8. The cartridge type printhead according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The cartridge type printing head further comprises a protective shell (9) with openings, which is detachably connected with the fixing module (1), and covers the outside of the pushing module (2) and the heating module (3).

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