Three-dimensional printing apparatus, method, non-transitory storage medium, and computer device

Abstract

This invention discloses a 3D printing device, method, non-volatile storage medium, and computer device. The 3D printing device includes: a material holding mechanism, including a bearing area for holding printing material; a material feeding mechanism for supplying printing material, wherein the material feeding mechanism includes a regulating valve for supplying printing material with a viscosity greater than a predetermined viscosity threshold to the bearing area; an optical mechanism for projecting and exposing the printing material in the bearing area, causing the printing material to undergo a photocuring reaction to form a cured layer; and a forming platform mechanism for adhering the cured layer layer by layer and separating the cured layer layer by layer from the bearing area. This invention solves the technical problem that existing 3D printing devices are unable to print high-viscosity materials.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of three-dimensional molding equipment technology, and more specifically, to a three-dimensional printing device, method, non-volatile storage medium, and computer device. Background Technology

[0002] 3D printing technology uses 3D printing equipment to create three-dimensional solid objects by layering data from a three-dimensional model. 3D printing can overcome special structural obstacles that are currently impossible to achieve with traditional machining, enabling the simplified production of arbitrarily complex structural components.

[0003] Due to its high precision, photopolymer 3D printing technology is finding increasingly wider applications, including mold making, customized products, medical devices, dentistry, figurines, and prostheses. The basic principle of photopolymer 3D printing is to create a three-dimensional object by layering materials. This involves dividing the object into several layers and then irradiating liquid photosensitive resin with a light beam of a specific wavelength, causing each layer to solidify and solidify. The final product is formed by accumulating these layers. Common types of photopolymer 3D printers include SLA, DLP, and LCD photopolymer 3D printers.

[0004] However, existing photopolymer 3D printers have difficulty printing high-viscosity materials. Existing photopolymer DLP 3D printers only support printing with a single type of high-viscosity printing material pre-filled in the tray. This printing method for high-viscosity materials has poor flexibility, and can only cure one type of material in one slice of the model. It also cannot use high-viscosity materials to achieve more refined and complex printing effects.

[0005] There is currently no effective solution to the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention provides a 3D printing device, method, non-volatile storage medium, and computer device to at least solve the technical problem that existing 3D printing devices have difficulty printing high-viscosity materials.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a three-dimensional printing apparatus is provided for forming a three-dimensional printed object, comprising: a material holding mechanism defining a bearing area for holding printing material; a material feeding mechanism for supplying printing material, wherein the material feeding mechanism includes a regulating valve for supplying printing material with a viscosity greater than a predetermined viscosity threshold to the bearing area; an optical mechanism for exposing the printing material in the bearing area to a photocuring reaction to form a cured layer; and a building mechanism including a forming platform for adhering the cured layer layer by layer and separating the cured layer layer by layer from the bearing area. The use of the regulating valve makes it possible to supply high-viscosity material. After adhering a layer of material to the forming platform, photocuring the material, and then driving the forming platform with the cured layer to detach the cured layer from the material holding mechanism, is particularly advantageous for forming the three-dimensional printed object.

[0008] In some embodiments, the feeding mechanism includes at least two regulating valves, wherein a first regulating valve is used to supply a first type of printing material, and a second regulating valve is used to supply a second type of printing material, wherein the first type of printing material and the second type of printing material are the same or different printing materials. The first regulating valve and the second regulating valve can be individually controlled, for example, the speed of supplying printing material, the amount supplied at one time, etc.

[0009] In some embodiments, a first regulating valve is configured to apply a first type of printing material to a first portion of the area to be printed, and a second regulating valve is configured to apply a second type of printing material to a second portion of the area to be printed. The first and second portions may be separate, complementary, or overlapping.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first and second regulating valves are configured to apply printing material based on printing information from a 3D printing model. This printing information includes: a slice outline of the 3D model to be printed, a set of point coordinates for the slice outline, and trajectory information of the feeding mechanism based on the point coordinate set. The location where the first and second regulating valves supply material is variable, for example, they may travel along a certain trajectory to supply material to a desired area.

[0011] In some embodiments, at least one of the viscosity, color, mechanical properties, and curing properties (e.g., surface roughness) of the first type of printing material differs from that of the second type of printing material.

[0012] In some embodiments, the 3D printing apparatus further includes a drive mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism is used to realize relative movement between the material holding mechanism and the material feeding mechanism, so as to allow the material feeding mechanism to quantitatively supply a preset type of printing material at any position in the bearing area of ​​the material holding mechanism.

[0013] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism includes a first drive component for at least driving the feeding mechanism to move in space; and / or, the drive mechanism includes a second drive component for at least driving the receiving mechanism to move in space. The feeding mechanism and the receiving mechanism can be moved in a controlled manner by one or two drives.

[0014] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism is used to change the position of the feeding mechanism in the horizontal plane, and the active area of ​​the feeding mechanism occupies more than 1% of the bearing area, for example, 40%-100%, preferably 50%-90%, more preferably 60%-80%, and especially preferably 70%-75%.

[0015] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism includes a third drive component for at least driving the building mechanism to perform lifting and lowering movements.

[0016] In some embodiments, the regulating valve includes at least one of a flow regulating valve, a pressure regulating valve, a temperature regulating valve, a dispensing valve, and a level regulating valve.

[0017] In some embodiments, the regulating valve is configured to apply one or more drops of printing material to the bearing area at a time. The term "drop" as used herein includes essentially droplet-shaped, essentially cylindrical, and essentially cuboid shapes, etc.

[0018] In some embodiments, the regulating valve is a pressure regulating valve, including any of the following: a piezoelectric ceramic jet valve, an electrically controlled jet valve, an electromagnetically controlled jet valve, or a pneumatically controlled jet valve. The printing material supplied by the pressure regulating valve has a predetermined viscosity threshold of 50 to 500,000 centipoise at 20 to 30°C, preferably 100 to 500 centipoise, and more preferably 200 to 300 centipoise.

[0019] In some embodiments, the outlet diameter of the piezoelectric ceramic jet valve is 0.01mm-10mm, the jet linewidth of the piezoelectric ceramic jet valve is 0.02-15mm, and the piezoelectric ceramic jet valve is configured to jet printing material with a thickness of 50-300um.

[0020] In some embodiments, the feeding mechanism includes a heating assembly for heating the printing material supplied by the regulating valve to a predetermined temperature, such as 20°C to 60°C, for example, 30°C and 40°C. Heating the material can alter its viscosity to some extent. In another aspect, the material may solidify at low temperatures and become unsustainable through the regulating valve, thus the arrangement of the heating assembly is advantageous.

[0021] In some embodiments, the optical system of the optical mechanism is any one of a DLP projection system, a Micro-LED display system, an LCOS optical system, an LCD display system, an LCD projection system, and a laser galvanometer scanning system.

[0022] In some embodiments, the projection area of ​​light from the optical mechanism occupies 80%-110% of the area to be printed, preferably 90%-100%, for example 95%, 96%, 97%, or 98%. In this application, the term "area to be printed" refers to the area where the printing material is laid on the carrier area. The term "projection area" refers to the area where the optical system of the optical mechanism projects light toward the carrier area. The projection area of ​​light can completely cover (or even exceed) the area to be printed, ensuring that the printing material in the area to be printed is completely cured. The projection area of ​​light can also partially cover the area to be printed, for example, proportionally covering 80%-100% of the area to be printed. Since the printing material cures only after being exposed to light radiation, not all the printing material in the printed area is necessarily cured; only the material in the desired area (e.g., 80%-100% of the area to be printed) is cured. This is particularly advantageous for achieving higher printing accuracy. Three-dimensional printed objects obtained with partial coverage have higher surface quality.

[0023] In some embodiments, the feeding mechanism further includes a first nozzle, wherein the first nozzle is used to supply printing material with a viscosity less than a predetermined viscosity threshold to the bearing area. The combination of the first nozzle and the regulating valve allows printing materials of various viscosities to be supplied to the material receiving mechanism.

[0024] In some embodiments, the feeding mechanism further includes a water-soluble material nozzle, wherein the water-soluble material nozzle is used to supply water-soluble material to the bearing area, the water-soluble material being used to construct a support structure for the 3D printed object to be formed. The support structure made of water-soluble material can be easily removed in the post-processing stage, for example, by dissolving it in water.

[0025] In some embodiments, the 3D printing apparatus further includes a coating mechanism for pre-applying a wetting agent before supplying printing material, the wetting agent being used to spread the printing material in the bearing area.

[0026] In some embodiments, the wetting agent applied to the bearing region is configured to occupy a first region of the bearing region, and the supplied printing material is configured to occupy a second region of the first region.

[0027] In some embodiments, the coating mechanism includes an application device and a wetting agent storage container, wherein the application device is used to apply wetting agent from the wetting agent storage container to the bearing area.

[0028] In some embodiments, the application apparatus includes at least one of the following: a surface coating apparatus, a dot coating apparatus, and a line coating apparatus.

[0029] In some embodiments, the surface coating apparatus includes a dispensing mechanism and a coater, wherein the dispensing mechanism and the coater together define a flow channel for the wetting agent, and wherein the coater is selected from any one of a brush, a scraper, and a roller.

[0030] In some embodiments, the surface coating apparatus includes: a coater brush head, a coater clamp, a push rod, and a mounting back plate; wherein the coater clamp, fixed to the push rod, holds the coater brush head, and the push rod is fixed to the mounting back plate. Optionally, the coater brush head is a flexible porous carrier.

[0031] In some embodiments, the dot coating apparatus includes a nozzle for applying a wetting agent to a substrate area by single-point or multi-point spraying.

[0032] In some embodiments, the material holding mechanism includes a release film, wherein the release film at least partially defines a carrying area.

[0033] In some embodiments, the release film is a fluoropolymer film, wherein the fluoropolymer film is at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film, fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) film, perfluoroalkoxy resin (PFA) film, ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE) film, ethylene and trifluorochloroethylene copolymer (ECTFE) film, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film, and polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) film.

[0034] In some embodiments, the release film includes a light scattering structure, which includes at least one of surface textures, fiber structures, and nanoparticles.

[0035] In some embodiments, the ultraviolet light transmittance of the release film is 50% to 100%, preferably 70% to 90%, and the thickness of the release film is 10 micrometers to 300 micrometers, preferably 30 micrometers to 100 micrometers.

[0036] In some embodiments, the material holding mechanism includes a transparent film, a medium layer, and an upper transparent plate, with the transparent film attached to the upper transparent plate via the medium layer.

[0037] In some embodiments, the material holding mechanism includes a transparent membrane and a membrane frame, with the transparent membrane tightly fixed to the membrane frame.

[0038] In some embodiments, the membrane frame includes an upper membrane frame, on which the transparent membrane is stretched; or, the membrane frame includes an upper membrane frame and a lower membrane frame, with the transparent membrane tightly fixed between the upper and lower membrane frames.

[0039] In some embodiments, the material holding mechanism further includes an upper transparent plate disposed below the transparent film.

[0040] In some embodiments, a fixing and constraining medium is provided between the upper transparent plate and the transparent film, and the fixing and constraining medium includes one or more of the following: silicone layer, adhesive layer, and backing adhesive layer.

[0041] In some embodiments, a first cavity is formed between the upper transparent plate and the transparent film, and fluid is injected into the first cavity.

[0042] In some embodiments, the fluid is at least one of oxygen-enriched liquid, inert liquid, oxygen, air, oxygen-enriched gas, and nitrogen.

[0043] In some embodiments, the material holding mechanism further includes an air supply assembly and a lower transparent plate located below the upper transparent plate, forming a second cavity between the lower and upper transparent plates, and the air supply assembly is configured to inject gas into the second cavity.

[0044] In some embodiments, the 3D printing apparatus further includes: a leveling mechanism for maintaining the thickness of the printing material supplied by the feeding mechanism to the holding mechanism within a preset range; and / or a cleaning mechanism for removing printing material remaining on the bearing area and / or the cured layer after the forming platform separates the cured layer.

[0045] In some embodiments, the leveling mechanism includes any one of a scraper assembly, a leveling roller assembly, a roller assembly, or a push rod assembly.

[0046] In some embodiments, the cleaning mechanism includes any one of a scraper assembly, an air gun (especially a high-pressure air gun), and a wiping assembly.

[0047] In some embodiments, the 3D printing equipment further includes: a calibration system for optical calibration of the optical mechanism and / or calibration of the feeding mechanism; wherein the calibration system includes a camera device, a calibration device, and a calibration plate; the calibration plate is placed on the 3D printing equipment, and calibration points are formed on the calibration plate at a preset distance; the optical mechanism is used to project actual projection points at a preset distance onto the bearing area; the camera device is used to capture images of the calibration points on the calibration plate and the actual projection points on the bearing area; the calibration device is communicatively connected to the camera device.

[0048] In some embodiments, the 3D printing apparatus further includes a calibration system configured to calibrate and align the feed points of the feeding mechanism and the projection points of the optical mechanism.

[0049] In some embodiments, the 3D printing apparatus further includes a separation mechanism for separating the 3D printed object formed by adhering the curing layer to the molding platform layer by layer.

[0050] In some embodiments, the separation mechanism includes any one of a shovel assembly, an ejection assembly, and a squeezing assembly.

[0051] In some embodiments, the shovel assembly includes: a shovel blade for separating a 3D printed object from a molding platform; and a shovel drive assembly for driving at least one of the shovel blade and the molding platform such that the shovel blade and the molding platform move relative to each other to separate the 3D printed object from the molding platform by means of the shovel blade.

[0052] In some embodiments, the molding platform has multiple through holes, and the ejection assembly has multiple ejection elements, wherein as the ejection assembly and the molding platform approach each other, the ejection elements can gradually extend from the through holes to separate the 3D printed object from the molding platform.

[0053] In some embodiments, the molding platform has a receiving groove; an ejector assembly is rotatably connected to the molding platform and is rotatable from a first position to a second position, wherein in the first position the ejector assembly is at least partially embedded in the receiving groove and in the second position the ejector assembly is at least partially extended out of the receiving groove to allow the 3D printed object to be separated from the molding platform.

[0054] In some embodiments, the forming platform includes a rigid structure, a flexible sheet, and one or more sheet handles attached to the flexible sheet; a first surface of the flexible sheet forms a molding surface for adhering a 3D printed object; and an extrusion assembly is configured to actuate the one or more sheet handles to deform at least a portion of the flexible sheet away from the rigid structure to separate the 3D printed object from the molding surface.

[0055] In some embodiments, the 3D printing apparatus further includes: a receiving assembly, comprising: a receiving member having a receiving position for receiving a 3D printed object peeled from a forming platform at the receiving position; a receiving drive assembly for driving the receiving member to move to the receiving position; wherein the receiving member also has an exit position for unloading the 3D printed object at the exit position; and wherein the receiving member also has a waiting position spaced apart from the receiving position, the receiving member being configured to wait at the waiting position during the printing process of the 3D printing apparatus.

[0056] In some embodiments, the discharge position coincides with the waiting position, or the discharge position is spaced apart from the waiting position.

[0057] In some embodiments, the receiving member has a receiving space for accommodating a 3D printed object and an outlet communicating with the receiving space. The receiving member assembly also includes a material pusher, which is at least partially disposed within the receiving space. The receiving member drive assembly is further configured to drive the material pusher toward the outlet when the receiving member reaches the outlet position, so as to push the 3D printed object contained in the receiving space out of the outlet.

[0058] In some embodiments, the receiver has a receiving space for receiving the printed object and an outlet communicating with the receiving space. The receiver assembly also includes a flipping component for flipping the receiver at the outlet position to unload the 3D printed object contained in the receiving space.

[0059] This invention also provides a three-dimensional printing method applied to a three-dimensional printing device. The three-dimensional printing device includes a material holding mechanism, a material feeding mechanism, an optical mechanism, and a building mechanism. The three-dimensional printing method includes: using the material feeding mechanism to supply printing material to a bearing area of ​​the material holding mechanism; then, using the optical mechanism to expose the printing material in the bearing area, causing the printing material to undergo a photocuring reaction to form a cured layer; then using the building mechanism to adhere the cured layer and separate the cured layer from the bearing area; wherein, the material feeding mechanism includes a regulating valve for supplying printing material with a viscosity greater than a predetermined viscosity threshold to the bearing area.

[0060] In some embodiments, the feeding mechanism includes at least two regulating valves, with a first regulating valve supplying a first type of printing material and a second regulating valve supplying a second type of printing material, wherein the first type of printing material and the second type of printing material are the same or different printing materials.

[0061] In some embodiments, a first regulating valve is used to apply a first type of printing material to a first portion of the area to be printed, and a second regulating valve is used to apply a second type of printing material to a second portion of the area to be printed.

[0062] In some embodiments, printing material is applied using a first regulating valve and a second regulating valve based on the printing information of the 3D printing model. The printing information includes: the slice outline of the 3D model to be printed, the set of point coordinates of the slice outline, and the movement trajectory information of the feeding mechanism based on the set of point coordinates.

[0063] In some embodiments, at least one of the viscosity, color, mechanical properties, and curing properties of the first type of printing material differs from that of the second type of printing material.

[0064] In some embodiments, the regulating valve includes at least one of a flow regulating valve, a pressure regulating valve, a temperature regulating valve, a dispensing valve, and a level regulating valve.

[0065] In some embodiments, the regulating valve is a pressure regulating valve, including any of the following: a piezoelectric ceramic jet valve, an electrically controlled jet valve, an electromagnetically controlled jet valve, and a pneumatically controlled jet valve; wherein the printing material supplied by the pressure regulating valve has a viscosity of 500 to 500,000 centipoise at 20 to 30°C.

[0066] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism of the 3D printing device is activated to achieve relative movement between the material holding mechanism and the material feeding mechanism, and the material feeding mechanism quantitatively supplies a preset type of printing material in the bearing area of ​​the material holding mechanism.

[0067] In some embodiments, the 3D printing method further includes: using a coating mechanism of a 3D printing device to pre-apply a wetting agent to a carrier region, the wetting agent being used to spread subsequently supplied printing material.

[0068] In some embodiments, a coating mechanism applies a wetting agent to a first area of ​​the bearing region, and a feeding mechanism supplies printing material to a second area of ​​the first region.

[0069] In some embodiments, the wetting agent is an active wetting agent, which includes surfactants and additives, and further includes at least one of the following components: initiator, polymerization inhibitor, active monomer, and prepolymer.

[0070] In some embodiments, the wetting agent is a non-reactive wetting agent, which includes surfactants and additives.

[0071] In some embodiments, the proportions of each component in the active wetting agent are: 0.5%-40% surfactant, 0%-3% additives, 0.2%-3% initiator, 0%-2% polymerization inhibitor, 5%-80% active monomer, and 5%-60% prepolymer; or, the proportions of each component in the inactive wetting agent are: 95%-100% surfactant and 0%-5% additives.

[0072] In some embodiments, the surfactant includes at least one of the following: organosilicon polymers, fluorinated polymers, and acrylate polymers.

[0073] In some embodiments, the additives include at least one of the following: pigments, dyes, defoamers, leveling agents, wetting agents, dispersants, and matting agents.

[0074] In some embodiments, the photoinitiator includes at least one of the following: benzoin and its derivatives, benzoyl and its derivatives, acetophenone derivatives, α-hydroxy ketone derivatives, α-amino ketone derivatives, benzoylcarbamates, and acylphosphine oxides.

[0075] In some embodiments, the polymerization inhibitor includes at least one of the following: p-hydroxyanisole, hydroquinone, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol, and tris(N-nitroso-N-phenylhydroxylamine) aluminum salt.

[0076] In some embodiments, the active monomer includes at least one of the following: alkyl (meth)acrylate, hydroxy (meth)acrylate, (meth)acrylate with a cyclic structure or benzene ring, ethylene glycol diacrylate, propylene glycol diacrylate, other diol diacrylate, polyfunctional reactive diluent, alkoxylated acrylate, dioxopropyl acrylate, and alkoxylated bisphenol A di(meth)acrylate.

[0077] In some embodiments, the prepolymer includes at least one of the following: unsaturated polyester resin, epoxy acrylate resin, polyurethane acrylate resin, polyester acrylate resin, polyether acrylate resin, and pure acrylic resin.

[0078] In some embodiments, the thickness of the wetting agent applied to the bearing area in a single application is 0.1 to 50 micrometers.

[0079] In some embodiments, the 3D printing method includes: pre-applying a wetting agent to a carrier region, followed by supplying printing material; using an optical mechanism to expose the material so that at least a portion of the wetting agent and a portion of the printing material are cured on a material holding mechanism (at which point the wetting agent will be partially or completely cured, while the printing material will only be partially cured); controlling the movement of a forming platform to contact the printing material in the carrier region; and using an optical mechanism to expose the material so that the remaining portion of the printing material is cured on the forming platform.

[0080] In some embodiments, after the curing layer is adhered to and separated from the bearing area using the build mechanism, residual printing material on the material receiving mechanism is cleaned, and / or residual printing material on the curing layer is cleaned.

[0081] In some embodiments, after the printing material is supplied to the bearing area of ​​the feeding mechanism using the feeding mechanism, the printing material in the bearing area is leveled to a preset thickness.

[0082] In some embodiments, before the printing material is supplied to the bearing area of ​​the material holding mechanism using the feeding mechanism, the printing material supplied by the regulating valve is heated using the heating component of the 3D printing equipment so that the printing material reaches a preset temperature.

[0083] In some embodiments, the 3D printing apparatus further includes a separation mechanism and a receiving assembly, wherein the separation mechanism is used to separate the 3D printed object from the forming platform, and the receiving assembly includes a receiving element and a receiving drive assembly. The 3D printing method includes: using the receiving drive assembly to move the receiving element to a receiving position; controlling at least one of the separation mechanism and the forming platform to move to separate the 3D printed object from the forming platform and allowing the receiving element at the receiving position to receive the separated 3D printed object; and controlling the receiving element to move from the receiving position to an unloading position to unload the 3D printed object.

[0084] In some embodiments, the receiving element also has a waiting position spaced apart from the receiving position, the receiving element being configured to wait at the waiting position during the printing process of the 3D printing equipment, wherein the output position coincides with the waiting position, or the output position is spaced apart from the waiting position.

[0085] This application also provides a non-volatile storage medium including a stored program, wherein the aforementioned 3D printing method is executed when the program is run.

[0086] This application also provides a computer device including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program and the processor is used to run the program stored in the memory, wherein the program executes the aforementioned 3D printing method when it runs.

[0087] In this embodiment of the invention, a pressure regulating valve is installed in the 3D printing equipment. By controlling the pressure regulating valve to supply high-viscosity printing material in the bearing area of ​​the material holding mechanism, the purpose of flexibly supplying high-viscosity printing material in the 3D printing equipment is achieved. This realizes the technical effect of using high-viscosity printing material to prepare 3D printed objects for users, and solves the technical problem that existing 3D printing equipment is difficult to print high-viscosity materials. Attached Figure Description

[0088] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0089] Figure 1 This is a simplified schematic diagram of a 3D printing device provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0090] Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of a 3D printing device provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0091] Figure 3 A simplified schematic diagram of the feeding mechanism and the receiving mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0092] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the bearing area according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0093] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an upper-exposure 3D printing device provided according to an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0094] Figure 6(a) is a left view of an upper-exposure 3D printing apparatus provided according to an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0095] Figure 6(b) is a front view of an upper-exposure 3D printing apparatus provided according to an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0096] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a coating device provided according to an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0097] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the spreading effect of printing material according to an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0098] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another effect of the printing material spreading according to an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0099] Figure 10 A hardware structure block diagram of a computer terminal for implementing a 3D printing method is shown.

[0100] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating a three-dimensional printing method provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0101] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0102] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0103] The viscosity of photopolymer materials is strongly correlated with their performance; generally, higher viscosity corresponds to better performance. Currently, technologies such as SLA, DLP, and PJ typically use resins with viscosities ranging from tens to thousands of centipoises (cP), making it difficult to meet the performance requirements of a wide range of applications. PJ printing technology, in particular, supports materials with viscosities only in the tens of cP, resulting in poor print quality. SLA and DLP printing technologies are limited to single-color, single-material printing, restricting their application scenarios. Furthermore, traditional inkjet printers cannot print high-viscosity materials; the printhead struggles to eject them, hindering the achievement of high-viscosity, high-precision, multi-material 3D printing. Currently, inkjet printers can print materials up to 500 cP, and inkjet printing relies heavily on printhead control for precision, resulting in high printhead requirements, low printing accuracy, and high costs.

[0104] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an embodiment of a three-dimensional printing device is provided to at least solve the problems of low viscosity of printing materials supported by existing solutions and the limited color range of supported printing materials. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a 3D printing device provided according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the 3D printing equipment may include a material holding mechanism 100, a material feeding mechanism 200, an optical mechanism 300, and a forming platform mechanism 400. Specifically, the above-described structure of the 3D printing equipment has the following characteristics:

[0105] The material holding mechanism 100 includes a bearing area for holding printing material. Optionally, the material holding mechanism includes a light-transmitting material. After the printing material is supplied to the bearing area, the material holding mechanism can receive exposure from the optical mechanism, causing the printing material to solidify in the bearing area. Optionally, the positional relationship between the optical mechanism and the material holding mechanism can include various methods. In some embodiments, the positional relationship between the optical mechanism and the material holding mechanism allows the light beam projected by the optical mechanism to enter through the bottom of the material holding mechanism and exit through the upper surface of the material holding mechanism. For example, the optical mechanism can be located below the material holding mechanism, so that the light beam projected by the optical mechanism directly reaches the material holding mechanism from below; or, the optical mechanism includes a light source above the material holding mechanism and a lens assembly below the material holding mechanism, so that the light projected from the light source above is reflected by, for example, the lens assembly and projected from below the material holding mechanism to achieve exposure. These two schemes can be referred to as downward projection exposure schemes. At this time, the forming platform mechanism is located above the material holding mechanism. During the printing process, the forming platform moves downward to contact the printing material on the bearing area. The optical mechanism projects a beam of light to expose and cure the printing material. After exposure and curing, the cured layer will be lifted up and separated from the bearing area of ​​the material holding mechanism along with the forming platform. The above operation is repeated to obtain multiple cured layers, thereby completing the printing of the three-dimensional object.

[0106] In some embodiments, the optical mechanism may be located above the material holding mechanism, and this approach may be referred to as an upward projection exposure approach. Figure 5 Figure 6(a) is a left view of the top-exposure 3D printing apparatus provided in an optional embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 6(b) is a front view of the top-exposure 3D printing apparatus provided in an optional embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figures, the optical mechanism 300 can be located at the top of the entire 3D printing apparatus, and projective exposure is performed from top to bottom.

[0107] A feeding mechanism 200 is used to supply printing material. The feeding mechanism includes a regulating valve for supplying high-viscosity printing material with a viscosity greater than a predetermined viscosity threshold to the bearing area. In related technologies, high-viscosity printing materials typically have poor flowability, which prevents inkjet printer printheads from ejecting high-viscosity printing material, thus hindering 3D printing of high-viscosity materials. This application employs, for example, a pressure regulating valve to smoothly supply high-viscosity printing material to the bearing area in the feeding mechanism. This allows the high-viscosity printing material to be exposed by an optical mechanism in the bearing area to form a cured layer. This enables convenient and flexible use of high-viscosity printing materials for model printing in photopolymerization 3D printing equipment, solving the technical problem of inconvenient use of high-viscosity printing materials in existing technologies.

[0108] exist Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the feeding mechanism 200 may include a plurality of pressure regulating valves 210, 211, which respectively supply different types of high-viscosity printing materials. For example, a first pressure regulating valve 210 is used to supply a first material, and a second pressure regulating valve 211 is used to supply a second material, the first and second materials having different viscosities, for example, at the same temperature. In some embodiments, the feeding mechanism may include a plurality of regulating valves 210, 211 for supplying the same material, for example, a plurality of regulating valves arranged in a predetermined pattern or array. At least a portion of the plurality of regulating valves may be used to simultaneously supply the same material to the bearing area.

[0109] Different types of high-viscosity printing materials can be supplied to different locations on the substrate area according to the printing strategy of the sliced ​​layers of the 3D printed model. In some embodiments, for example, a first regulating valve 210 can supply a first material to a portion 112 of the area to be printed, and a second regulating valve 211 can supply a second material to another portion 114 of the area to be printed. In other embodiments, it is also possible to use multiple regulating valves to supply multiple (e.g., three, four or more) different materials to the substrate area, meaning that a printing layer of the 3D printed object can be composed of multiple materials arranged in partitions.

[0110] This optional embodiment provides an extension solution for 3D printing equipment, enabling photopolymer 3D printing equipment to achieve richer printing effects in each slice layer. In the prior art, when the printing material viscosity is high, because it is impossible to supply multiple high-viscosity printing materials in the material holding mechanism, photopolymer 3D printing equipment can only use one material in each slice layer. This results in a final 3D printed model with limited material, color, and performance, leading to poor results. Based on this optional embodiment, when constructing a single layer, multiple pressure regulating valves can supply high-viscosity printing materials of different colors to different positions in the bearing area to obtain a colored layer, such as a colored layer with gradient color changes. In other embodiments, when constructing a single layer, printing materials with a mixed color of the desired color can be supplied to the printing area of ​​the bearing area to obtain a specified colored layer. In other embodiments, the colors of multiple constructed layers can also be different; for example, the colors of corresponding positions between two adjacent printing layers can be different, such as a red position in the first printing layer and a blue position in the corresponding position in the second printing layer. Significant differences can exist in different areas of each cured layer formed after exposure, and these differences can be flexibly adjusted according to the user's design requirements. Users can adjust the printing material used at different locations within the bearing area, greatly enriching the user's design freedom and improving the quality of the final 3D printed product, making this technical solution highly commercially valuable. Furthermore, this optional embodiment enables multi-color printing, achieving not only gradient colors but also arbitrary color adjustments. It also allows for color changes not only between different cured layers but also within the same cured layer. Therefore, this optional embodiment solves the technical problem in existing 3D printers of achieving model color change when printing high-viscosity materials. Using this optional embodiment, color can be naturally imparted to the 3D printed product during the printing process, eliminating the need for post-printing coloring after the 3D printed product is obtained. This results in more accurate color reproduction and saves manpower in post-processing steps of the 3D printed product.

[0111] As an alternative embodiment, the different types of high-viscosity printing materials supplied by the multiple pressure regulating valves have different viscosities; or, the different types of high-viscosity printing materials supplied by the multiple pressure regulating valves have different colors; or, the different types of high-viscosity printing materials supplied by the multiple pressure regulating valves have different colors and viscosities.

[0112] Those skilled in the art will understand that for different types of high-viscosity printing materials, the higher the viscosity of the material, the softer the molded product. Therefore, high-viscosity printing materials of varying viscosities can be used to construct different parts of a 3D printed product. For example, when 3D printing dentures, since the gum area should be softer, a higher viscosity printing material can be used to construct the gum area of ​​the denture; while the teeth should be harder, so a lower viscosity printing material can be used to construct the teeth area. 3D printed dentures constructed in this way are closer to real-world conditions, and the tactile sensation when the user's mouth comes into contact with the gum area of ​​the denture is softer and more skin-friendly, resulting in a better user experience.

[0113] For example, one or more of the multiple regulating valves can be made of a material with elastic, soft properties, while another or more valves can be made of a material with hardness, high strength, and good mechanical properties. In this approach, 3D printed objects with a soft internal structure and a hard external structure can be printed, such as jaw pads, bruxism pads, and invisible aligners. In the example above, the side in contact with the teeth uses a soft material to improve wearer comfort, while the external occlusal part uses a hard material to meet mechanical requirements. Different printing materials have different mechanical properties after curing, such as bending strength, tensile strength, and shear strength. Other properties of different printing materials after curing may also differ, such as surface quality or surface roughness, or material shrinkage.

[0114] As an optional embodiment, the regulating valve can be any one of a flow regulating valve, a pressure regulating valve, a temperature regulating valve, a dispensing valve, or a level regulating valve.

[0115] As an alternative embodiment, the regulating valve allows one or more drops of printing material to be applied to the bearing area at a time. Due to the poor flowability of high-viscosity materials, the regulating valve can apply the material drop by drop. For example, a single regulating valve can continuously supply two drops of printing material at one location, or it can supply two drops of printing material sequentially at two locations.

[0116] It is important to note that the control valve is movable, meaning that the position of the control valve and therefore the material supply point can vary. For example, the control valve can move in the horizontal plane (XY plane), with its active area occupying more than 1%, preferably more than 50%, and more preferably more than 80% of the bearing area. For example, when forming a single layer of the object to be 3D printed, the control valve moves only within 5% of the bearing area; when forming another layer of the object to be 3D printed, the control valve moves only within 10% of the bearing area. During single-layer printing, the active area of ​​the control valve in the horizontal plane can occupy 1%-20% of the bearing area, preferably 3%-10%, for example, 5%. During continuous multi-layer printing, the active area of ​​the control valve can occupy 1%-100% of the bearing area. For example, slicing information is obtained based on the 3D printing model, and then the slice outline of the layer to be printed is obtained based on the slicing information, for example, obtaining the set of point coordinates of all points on the slice outline. Based on the set of point coordinates, a predetermined action path for the feeding structure or control valve can be set. For example, an action trajectory can be set for the execution of a single control valve or for a combination of actions of multiple control valves. The predetermined path of motion can pass through points on the edge of the layer to be printed, or through points within the inner area of ​​the layer to be printed.

[0117] As an optional embodiment, the pressure regulating valve described above can be any of the following types: piezoelectric ceramic injection valve, electrically controlled injection valve, electromagnetically controlled injection valve, or pneumatically controlled injection valve.

[0118] The pressure regulating valve of the above type can supply high-viscosity printing materials. The predetermined viscosity threshold of the high-viscosity printing materials that can be supplied at room temperature (e.g., 10-40°C, preferably 20-30°C, e.g., 25°C) is between 50 centipoise and 500,000 centipoise, preferably between 500 centipoise and 200,000 centipoise, more preferably between 100 and 500 centipoise, and especially preferably between 200 and 300 centipoise.

[0119] As an optional embodiment, the valve nozzle diameter or outlet diameter of the piezoelectric ceramic jet valve is 0.01mm-10mm, preferably 0.075mm-5mm, the thickness of the jet produced by the piezoelectric ceramic jet valve is 50-300μm, preferably 70-100μm, and the jet linewidth of the piezoelectric ceramic jet valve is 0.02mm-15mm, preferably between 0.2mm and 0.5mm.

[0120] As an optional embodiment, the feeding mechanism includes a heating component for heating the printing material supplied by the regulating valve to 15-100°C, preferably 20-80°C, and more preferably 40-60°C.

[0121] As an optional embodiment, the feeding mechanism may further include an inkjet printhead 212, which supplies low-viscosity printing material with a viscosity less than a predetermined viscosity threshold to the bearing area. The inkjet printhead allows for the omission of a regulating valve, as the low-viscosity printing material can be supplied directly to the bearing area, for example, based on gravity. Optionally, for example, when the predetermined viscosity threshold is 500 centipoise, the inkjet printhead 212 can supply printing material with a viscosity below 500 centipoise to the bearing area. Optionally, the inkjet printhead can be an inkjet printhead used in inkjet printers. By simultaneously providing an inkjet printhead and a pressure regulating valve in the 3D printing device of this application, low-viscosity and high-viscosity printing materials can be supplied separately at different locations in the bearing area, making the distribution of printing material in the bearing area more flexible and ultimately printing 3D printed products that meet the user's needs.

[0122] In one alternative embodiment, an inkjet printhead can be used to print the outline of the 3D model, while a pressure regulating valve can be used to print the infill. This approach achieves a high-precision appearance for the 3D model while ensuring a wide range of material choices. The inkjet printhead supports a relatively low upper limit for viscosity, such as 0-500 cps, while the pressure regulating valve supports a relatively high viscosity range, such as 0-200,000 cps. This allows for a wider selection of photosensitive resins for the latter.

[0123] As an optional embodiment, the feeding mechanism may further include a water-soluble material nozzle 214, which supplies water-soluble material to the bearing area. This water-soluble material is used to construct the support structure for 3D printing (e.g., a structure for supporting the suspension portion of the object to be printed). The water-soluble material can be used to print the support portion of the 3D model because the support structure printed from the water-soluble material is directly soluble in water. Therefore, the finished part after printing can be immersed in water to remove the support, simplifying the post-processing step of removing the support. Optionally, the 3D printing material feeding mechanism provided in this application may simultaneously include a pressure regulating valve, an inkjet printhead, and a water-soluble material nozzle, or include a pressure regulating valve and an inkjet printhead, or include a pressure regulating valve and a water-soluble material nozzle. Furthermore, in any of the above embodiments or optional embodiments, the number of any one of the pressure regulating valve, inkjet printhead, and water-soluble material nozzle disposed in the 3D printing equipment may be one or more.

[0124] Optical mechanism 300 is used to project and expose the printing material in the bearing area, so that the printing material undergoes a photocuring reaction to form a cured layer.

[0125] As an optional embodiment, the optical mechanism can be based on various photopolymerization principles in the prior art to enable the 3D printing equipment to print the cured layer. For example, the optical system of the optical mechanism can be any of the following: DLP projection system, Micro-LED display system, LCOS optical system, LCD display system, and laser galvanometer scanning system. Those skilled in the art can make reasonable selections as needed.

[0126] The molding platform mechanism 400 is used to adhere the curing layer layer by layer and separate the curing layer from the bearing area.

[0127] As an optional embodiment, the above-mentioned 3D printing equipment may further include a drive mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism is used to realize the relative movement between the bearing area and the feeding mechanism, so that the feeding mechanism quantitatively supplies a preset type of printing material at a preset position of the material holding mechanism.

[0128] Based on this optional embodiment, the printing material supplied by the feeding mechanism can be quantitatively supplied to predetermined positions on the bearing area. In particular, high-viscosity printing material supplied by the pressure regulating valve can be supplied to predetermined positions on the bearing area. This optional embodiment can provide the required printing material at different positions in each slice layer of the 3D printed model, for example, providing different types of high-viscosity printing material at different positions, or providing high-viscosity printing material separately at different positions, and providing at least one of low-viscosity printing material and water-soluble printing material. In this optional embodiment, the 3D printing equipment can use a drive mechanism to drive the relative movement between multiple nozzle assemblies in the feeding mechanism and the bearing area. The nozzle assembly can include at least one of a pressure regulating valve, an inkjet printhead, and a water-soluble material printhead.

[0129] Optionally, the driving mechanism can drive the nozzle assembly to move in space, drive the material-holding mechanism to move in space, or drive the nozzle assembly and the material-holding mechanism to move in space respectively, so that the nozzle assembly and the bearing area achieve a desired relative positional relationship. To achieve the above driving effect, as an optional embodiment, the driving mechanism may include a first driving component, which is at least used to drive the material-feeding mechanism to move in space; and / or, the driving mechanism may include a second driving component, which is at least used to drive the material-holding mechanism to move in space. In other words, at least one of the first and second driving components can drive at least one of the material-holding mechanism and the material-feeding mechanism to move. The driving directions of the first and second driving components can be located in the same plane, for example, both in a horizontal plane, and their driving directions are perpendicular to each other in the horizontal plane, thus achieving any relative positional relationship between the nozzle assembly and the bearing area in the horizontal plane. As an optional embodiment, the driving mechanism may also include a third driving component, which is used to drive the molding platform mechanism to move in space, thus enabling the molding platform to adhere the cured layer in the material-holding mechanism. The combination of the third drive assembly and the forming platform (and possible accessories or connectors) allows the forming platform to perform translational movements (such as lifting, lateral or longitudinal movement) and rotational movements (such as rotation about the X and Y axes).

[0130] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a 3D printing device provided according to an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the 3D printing equipment may include: a material holding mechanism 100, a material feeding mechanism 200, an optical mechanism 300, a forming platform mechanism 400, and a drive mechanism 500. The drive mechanism 500 may include an X-axis motor 501, an X-axis module 502, a Y-axis motor 503, a Y-axis module 504, a Z-axis motor 505, a Z-axis module 506, a Z-axis substrate 507, and a force sensor 508. The second drive assembly may include the X-axis motor 501 and the X-axis module 502, which can be used to drive the material holding mechanism to move in space. The first drive assembly may include the Y-axis module 504 and the Z-axis motor 505, which can be used to drive the material feeding mechanism (e.g., a nozzle) to move in space. The third drive assembly may include the Z-axis motor 505, the Z-axis module 506, the Z-axis substrate 507, and the force sensor 508, and is at least used to drive the lifting platform mechanism to move up and down in space.

[0131] Optionally, the first drive component can use a standard Class C lead screw guide or a low-precision belt pulley drive. The second drive component, which requires higher precision, can use a linear encoder with a high-precision module. The third drive component can use a linear motor or other types of motors.

[0132] Based on the aforementioned driving mechanism, the printhead assembly can be controlled to sequentially supply printing material to the bearing area and deliver the printing material to preset positions. After the printing material is arranged on the bearing area, the optical mechanism exposes the material to obtain a cured layer. In this way, the material type is different at different positions of the cured layer, and there is no interference or color mixing between them, which greatly improves the printing quality and printing efficiency.

[0133] Optionally, based on the above-mentioned optional embodiments, direct printing of denture bases and teeth can be achieved, which has high commercial value. The technical solution implemented based on the above-mentioned optional embodiments has a very low cost, far lower than 3D printing using only inkjet printheads, and supports higher printing material viscosities than solutions using only inkjet printheads. Typically, the viscosity of highly adaptable materials used for printing denture bases and teeth is between 2000 and 5000 cps, while the maximum material viscosity supported by existing inkjet printheads is 500 cps (at room temperature), and the ink viscosity of general inkjet printheads is within 10 to 50 cps. Therefore, although solutions using only inkjet printheads can achieve full-color printing, they cannot achieve direct printing of denture bases and teeth using highly adaptable materials. Only low-viscosity printing materials can be used to obtain model products that look similar, but the molding performance is not up to standard. This is because 3D printed products of denture bases and teeth have very high requirements for material strength and notched impact strength. The 3D printing equipment provided in this application, which includes a pressure regulating valve, can print materials with a viscosity of 0 to 500,000 centipoise. Furthermore, it can also directly print dental bases and teeth using a multi-nozzle assembly. It has low cost, a wider range of material options, and high commercial value.

[0134] As an optional embodiment, the aforementioned 3D printing equipment may further include a coating mechanism for pre-coating a wetting agent onto the portion of the bearing area corresponding to the high-viscosity printing material supplied by the pressure regulating valve. Those skilled in the art will understand that high-viscosity printing materials have poor ductility due to their high viscosity. Therefore, after being coated onto the bearing area, if the surface energy of the material receiving mechanism in the bearing area is low, the high-viscosity printing material cannot be effectively wetted and spread on the plane, but will instead stack in droplet or other irregular shapes on the bearing area, leading to problems with subsequent printing results. However, if a material with high surface energy is selected for the bearing area, the material release effect will be poor, and the peeling force required to separate the cured layer from the bearing area will be too large, resulting in unstable product molding processes. As an optional embodiment, the material receiving mechanism may include a release film, with the bearing area located on the release film. Release films are widely used in 3D printing equipment; however, the surface energy of the release film is low, so when high-viscosity printing material is supplied to the release film, the high-viscosity printing material cannot spread well on the release film, which may affect the subsequent printing results.

[0135] The coating mechanism provided in this optional embodiment can be used to solve the above problems. The coating mechanism can pre-coat the bearing area with a wetting agent. After the wetting agent is coated, the high-viscosity printing material is supplied to the bearing area. The wetting agent changes the original material wetting and spreading characteristics of the bearing area, so that the high-viscosity printing material can be spread smoothly on the bearing area, thereby improving the subsequent curing layer forming effect.

[0136] In the field of surface science, the higher the surface energy of a solid, the easier it is to be wetted by a liquid; the lower the surface tension of a liquid, the easier it is to spread and extend. In 3D printing equipment, the release film of a solid typically has a low surface energy, resulting in low peel force and good release effect. However, for high-viscosity printing materials, they cannot spread and extend smoothly on the release film. According to the embodiments of this application, a wetting agent is first applied to the release film (or the supporting area). This low-surface-tension wetting agent will spread and extend relatively smoothly on the release film. Then, the printing material (especially high-viscosity printing material) is supplied on the wetting agent layer. Since the printing material and the wetting agent are at least partially miscible, the entire liquid phase spreads well on the release film. This solution retains the good release effect of the low-surface-energy release film while enhancing the spreadability of the printing material, especially the high-viscosity printing material, which significantly improves the stability of 3D printing.

[0137] exist Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the wetting agent applied to the bearing region occupies a first region 122 in the bearing region 120, which is, for example, the middle region of the bearing region. In some embodiments, the area of ​​the first region 122 is 10%-100% of the bearing region 120, preferably 20%-90%, more preferably 40%-80%, for example 50%, 60%, and 70%. In some embodiments, the subsequently supplied printing material is configured to occupy a second region 124 in the first region 122. In some embodiments, the area of ​​the second region 124 is 10%-100% of the first region 122, preferably 20%-90%, more preferably 40%-80%, for example 50%, 60%, and 70%.

[0138] To apply the wetting agent, the coating mechanism according to embodiments of this application may include an application device and a wetting agent storage container for storing the wetting agent. The application device is used to apply the wetting agent from the wetting agent storage container to the bearing area. The application device may include at least one of a surface coating device, a dot coating device, and a line coating device.

[0139] The surface coating apparatus may include a dispensing mechanism and a coater, wherein the dispensing mechanism and the coater together define a flow channel for a wetting agent, allowing the wetting agent to flow from a wetting agent storage container, through the flow channel defined by the dispensing mechanism and the coater, and into a bearing area. Specifically, the dispensing mechanism is used to transfer wetting agent from the wetting agent storage container, and the coater is used to apply the wetting agent to the bearing area in one or more ways. The coater may be selected from any of a brush, a scraper, and a roller.

[0140] In embodiments where the applicator is a brush, the wetting agent flows through a flow channel and falls into multiple orifices of the brush, and then surface coating is performed by translating the brush. In embodiments where the applicator is a doctor blade, the wetting agent flows through a flow channel and falls into multiple orifices of the doctor blade, and then surface coating is performed by translating the doctor blade. In embodiments where the applicator is a roller, the wetting agent flows through a flow channel and falls into multiple orifices of the roller, and then surface coating is performed by rotating the roller.

[0141] The dot coating apparatus may include one or more nozzles for applying wetting agent to the carrier area by single-point or multi-point spraying, such that the wetting agent from the single-point or multi-point location spreads naturally on the release film to completely cover the target area.

[0142] Line coating apparatus may include nozzles for continuously applying wetting agent to a bearing area along a predetermined path, which allows the wetting agent applied along the line to naturally extend to completely cover the target area.

[0143] As an optional embodiment, the applicator may include an applicator brush head 601, an applicator clamp 602, a lifting push rod 603, and a mounting back plate 604, such as Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a coater according to an optional embodiment of the present invention. The coater clamp connects and fixes the coater brush head to a lifting push rod, which is fixed to a mounting back plate to achieve the lifting and lowering movement of the coater brush head. In this optional embodiment, a wetting agent can be placed in the coater, which is fixed to the mounting back plate by the clamp. The lifting push rod enables the coater to rise and fall, and the coater brush head applies the wetting agent to the construction surface 650 (bearing area) of the construction board to achieve the surface wetting effect. As an optional embodiment, the coater brush head is a flexible porous carrier, such as a sponge, felt, or fabric.

[0144] In the above optional embodiments, the thickness of the wetting agent coated on the release film can be 0.1-20μm; specifically, it can be 0.8, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5...20μm, as well as specific values ​​between the above values. Due to space limitations and for the sake of brevity, the specific values ​​included in the range will not be exhaustively listed here.

[0145] As an optional embodiment, the release film can be a fluoropolymer film, wherein the fluoropolymer film is at least one selected from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film, fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) film, perfluoroalkoxy resin (PFA) film, ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE) film, ethylene and trifluorochloroethylene copolymer (ECTFE) film, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film, and polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) film. Furthermore, the release film can also be various modified fluoropolymer films corresponding to the above-mentioned fluoropolymer films, including surface-modified, graft-modified, and blend-modified films. As an optional embodiment, the ultraviolet light transmittance of the release film is 50% to 100%, preferably 60% to 80%. The thickness of the release film is 10 micrometers to 300 micrometers, preferably 30 micrometers to 100 micrometers.

[0146] As an optional embodiment, the release film includes a light scattering structure. The light scattering structure scatters light emitted from the light source. Due to the change in the angle of incident light, the light intensity in the edge regions of the pixels is enhanced, while the light intensity in the middle regions of the pixels is weakened. The boundaries between pixels are blurred, which smooths the steps or contours between the edges of the printed layers of the 3D printed object, thereby enhancing the surface quality of the printed 3D printed object.

[0147] The light scattering structure includes at least one of surface texture, fibrous structure, and nanoparticles. The surface texture includes surface protrusions or depressions arranged in an array or in a random order; or, the surface texture includes a wavy or serrated texture. The feature size of the surface texture is 10 nm to 20 μm. Related content on light scattering structures can also be found in patent document CN116457176A, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0148] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the spreading effect of printing material according to an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the left side of the disk was not pre-coated with a wetting agent, and the liquid printing material was directly sprayed onto the printing area. As can be seen in the image, the liquid printing material clearly shrank into droplets and did not spread evenly. In contrast, the right side of the disk was pre-coated with a wetting agent, allowing the liquid printing material to be effectively wetted and spread across the disk. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the spreading effect of printing material according to an optional embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the 3D printed model on the left did not use wetting agent during the printing stage, resulting in poor material spreading, failure to apply material and color to the designated locations, obvious mixing, and inability to print normally; the 3D printed model on the right used wetting agent during the printing stage, thus achieving normal printing.

[0149] As an optional embodiment, the wetting agent is an active wetting agent, which includes surfactants and additives, and further includes at least one of the following components: initiator, polymerization inhibitor, active monomer, and prepolymer.

[0150] As an optional embodiment, the wetting agent is a non-reactive wetting agent, which includes surfactants and additives.

[0151] As an optional embodiment, the proportions of each component in the active wetting agent are: 0.5%-40% surfactant, 0%-3% additives, 0.2%-3% initiator, 0%-2% polymerization inhibitor, 5%-80% active monomer, and 5%-60% prepolymer; or, the proportions of each component in the inactive wetting agent are: 95%-100% surfactant and 0%-5% additives.

[0152] As an optional embodiment, the surfactant includes at least one of the following: organosilicon polymers, fluorinated polymers, and acrylate polymers.

[0153] As an optional embodiment, the additives include at least one of the following: pigments, dyes, defoamers, leveling agents, wetting agents, dispersants, and matting agents.

[0154] As an optional embodiment, the photoinitiator includes at least one of the following: benzoin and its derivatives, benzoyl and its derivatives, acetophenone derivatives, α-hydroxy ketone derivatives, α-amino ketone derivatives, benzoylcarbamates, and acylphosphine oxides.

[0155] As an optional embodiment, the polymerization inhibitor includes at least one of the following: p-hydroxyanisole, hydroquinone, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol, and tris(N-nitroso-N-phenylhydroxylamine) aluminum salt.

[0156] As an optional embodiment, the active monomer includes at least one of the following: alkyl (meth)acrylate, hydroxy (meth)acrylate, (meth)acrylate with a cyclic structure or benzene ring, ethylene glycol diacrylate, propylene glycol diacrylate, other diol diacrylate, polyfunctional reactive diluent, alkoxylated acrylate, dioxopropyl acrylate, alkoxylated bisphenol A di(meth)acrylate.

[0157] As an optional embodiment, the prepolymer includes at least one of the following: unsaturated polyester resin, epoxy acrylate resin, polyurethane acrylate resin, polyester acrylate resin, polyether acrylate resin, and pure acrylic resin.

[0158] Based on the above optional embodiments, this application conducted several experimental tests on the wetting effect of the wetting agent, including peel force test, spread size test, and contact angle test. The peel force test method involved printing a 40mm diameter disc-shaped model, recording the peak value during the peeling process of 40 layers, and calculating the average value. The spread size test method involved taking 20 microliters of ink, dropping it onto the film surface for 20 seconds, and then measuring and recording the droplet diameter using an optical microscope. The contact angle test method involved characterizing the droplet using a Lauda Scientific LSA100 fully automated optical contact angle meter, with a droplet volume of 10 microliters. The wetting agent composition used in the above tests was 85% ink material + 15% BYK-377.

[0159] In addition, it can also test whether the printing material is effectively spread. The test method is to apply a 50±3μm thick layer of printing material to the release film surface using the nozzle assembly. If the liquid droplets of the printing material are connected in sheets, it is judged as effective spreading. If the liquid has pores or a large amount of shrinkage and agglomeration, it is judged as ineffective spreading.

[0160] Table 1 Contact Angle Data for Different Fluorine Film Inks

[0161] Ink contact angle / degrees without wetting agent 70 71 70 30 26 28 16 Ink contact angle / degrees with wetting agent 69 68 68 18 16 18 12

[0162] As shown in Table 1, when the wetting agent cannot effectively wet the release film, it has little effect on the ink contact angle.

[0163] Table 2. Data on the effective spreadability and spread dimensions of different fluoropolymer films.

[0164]

[0165]

[0166] As shown in Table 2, the wetting agent has little effect on the spreading effect of PTFE, FEP, and PFA, but has a significant effect on ETFE, ECTFE, PVDF, and PVF. Since the wetting agent itself cannot wet PTFE, FEP, and PFA, the spreading effect of the applied printing material (such as printing ink) is also not significantly affected.

[0167] In addition, various wetting agents were prepared by using different surfactants such as BYK-377, BYK-UV 3505, BYK-UV 3510, TEGO WET270, and AFCONA-3588, in a ratio of 85% ink printing material + 15% surfactant. The spreading effect on ETFE film was tested, and the results are as follows:

[0168] Is it effectively spread? yes yes yes yes yes

[0169] By testing different types of surfactants on the market, it was found that they all had good basic wetting and spreading effects, with little difference between them, and could all be used in this solution.

[0170] Furthermore, using the surfactant BYK-377, by controlling the surfactant content, 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% were added to the wetting agent to obtain different types of wetting agents. Their respective wetting and spreading properties were verified, and the results are as follows:

[0171] Is it effectively spread? no no yes yes yes yes yes

[0172] The test results above show that when the surfactant content is below 5%, the wetting and spreading effect is poor. When the surfactant content is above 10%, the wetting and spreading effect is good, and effective spreading can be achieved, meeting the printing requirements.

[0173] As an optional embodiment, the aforementioned 3D printing equipment further includes a leveling mechanism for maintaining the thickness of the printing material supplied by the feeding mechanism to the receiving mechanism within a preset range. The leveling mechanism ensures that the printing material supplied by the feeding mechanism to the bearing area maintains a uniform thickness, thus maintaining a refined and precise printing process and improving printing accuracy. It should be noted that if the printing material supplied by the feeding mechanism to the bearing area is sufficiently uniform and quantitative, leveling by a leveling mechanism is unnecessary. In the above process, in addition to controlling the thickness of the printing material on the receiving mechanism to maintain it within a preset range, the leveling mechanism can also be used to slightly adjust the amount of printing material on the receiving mechanism, effectively leveling the printing material and making the surface of the printing material more uniform.

[0174] As an alternative embodiment, the leveling mechanism includes any one of a scraper assembly, a leveling roller assembly, a roller assembly, or a push rod assembly.

[0175] In some embodiments, the leveling assembly may include at least one leveling roller assembly for leveling uncured printing material supplied to the bearing area of ​​the material receiving mechanism to ensure the dimensional accuracy of the material layer in the vertical direction. Specifically, the leveling roller assembly may be a cylindrical component rotatable about its mounting axis, or a conical component (e.g., with a generally triangular cross-section) rotatable about its mounting axis. The leveling roller assembly rotates at high speed during the leveling process and contacts the uncured printing material on the material receiving mechanism, thereby removing printing material exceeding a predetermined thickness from the uncured material layer to ensure the dimensional accuracy of the material layer in the vertical direction. For example, the leveling roller assembly moves from one side to the other relative to the bearing area; after the leveling process of the leveling roller assembly, the printing material behind the leveling roller assembly is leveled to the same thickness. Those skilled in the art can adjust the removal effect of the printing material by utilizing the characteristics of the leveling roller assembly itself and its motion parameters. For example, the surface polarity or roughness of the leveling roller assembly can be increased to enhance the adsorption effect on the printing material, thus better carrying the printing material. Alternatively, increasing the rotation speed of the leveling roller assembly can improve its entrainment effect on the printing material, allowing printing material exceeding the preset thickness to be carried away by the leveling roller assembly, reducing the possibility of pushing printing material exceeding the preset thickness to other areas and causing material mixing. Another example is that a material coating that can carry away excess material can be configured on the leveling roller assembly for rapid adsorption and removal of excess material.

[0176] In some embodiments, the leveling assembly may include at least one scraper assembly. The scraper assembly may include a scraper holder, a scraper mounting bracket, and a scraper body. An elastic connecting component for connection and buffering is provided between the scraper holder and the scraper mounting bracket. The scraper body is disposed on the scraper holder, and the scraper mounting bracket can be connected to a drive mechanism. The scraper assembly moves relative to the corresponding position of the bearing area of ​​the material-holding mechanism via the drive mechanism. The direction of this relative movement is parallel to the surface of the material-holding mechanism; that is, during the relative movement, the distance between the bottom end of the scraper body and the surface of the printing material remains almost constant. The direction of the relative movement may include relative translation along the length direction of the material-holding mechanism or relative translation along the width direction of the material-holding mechanism. The purpose of this relative movement is to solve the problem of uneven distribution of printing material supplied by the feeding assembly in the material-holding mechanism due to the poor flowability of the printing material, which affects the printing quality. For example, the scraper assembly moves relative to the bearing area from one side to the other. After the leveling movement of the scraper assembly, the printing material behind the scraper assembly is leveled to the same thickness. This scraper assembly can overcome the problem of poor flowability of printing material, allowing the printing material to cover the bearing area of ​​the material holding mechanism, so as to level the thickness of the printing material in a single layer.

[0177] During production, it was discovered that the leveling component might carry printing material from one area to another, potentially causing material mixing in the latter area, contaminating the printing material, and affecting printing accuracy and quality. Taking the scraper assembly as an example, during the feeding process from right to left, if the printing material in the carrying area is divided into multiple color zones, when the scraper blade passes through the first color zone and scrapes away excess material, it pushes the waste material from the first color zone to the second color zone, resulting in material mixing and color bleeding. Therefore, in addition to the leveling component, the leveling mechanism also includes a waste collection component. This waste collection component is configured to collect the waste material removed by the leveling component during its operation, ensuring that no waste material re-enters the material receiving mechanism.

[0178] Continuing with the example of the squeegee assembly, the feeding assembly feeds the material from right to left. For example, the printing material in the bearing area is divided into multiple color zones. When the squeegee body passes through the first color zone and scrapes away the excess waste material, the waste collection assembly collects the material scraped off by the squeegee body to prevent the waste material from entering other color zones and affecting the color accuracy of other color zones.

[0179] The specific forms of the waste collection component include, but are not limited to, negative pressure suction structure and wiping structure. Any waste that can be removed from the leveling component can be collected in a timely manner. The faster the waste collection component responds, the less the mixing and color bleeding between different areas can be reduced.

[0180] In some implementations, the leveling mechanism can be located at any position on the material receiving mechanism, as long as it can level the printing material to a preset thickness. Multiple leveling mechanisms can be configured, operating simultaneously to improve work efficiency.

[0181] As an optional embodiment, the above-mentioned 3D printing equipment also includes a cleaning mechanism for removing printing material remaining on the bearing area after the molding platform mechanism separates the cured layer.

[0182] As an optional embodiment, the cleaning mechanism includes any one of a scraper assembly, an air gun (especially a high-pressure air gun), and a wiping assembly. The cleaning mechanism is configured to remove residual printing material from the material receiving mechanism after the molding platform mechanism separates and cures the layer, specifically removing residual printing material on the bearing area after the molding platform mechanism separates and cures the layer. The cleaning mechanism can remove residual printing material after each separation of the cured layer by the molding platform mechanism, or it can remove the printing material after the molding platform mechanism separates and cures the layer only at specific times, and can be reasonably configured according to the needs of the technical solutions in the art. The cleaning mechanism can prevent residual material generated during the printing process, such as uncured resin or residue from the upper layer, from affecting the printing of the next layer. Of course, the cleaning mechanism can also prevent cured resin or residue generated during the printing process from affecting the printing process.

[0183] In some implementations, the cleaning mechanism can be an independent control system or share a control system with the printhead assembly / leveling mechanism. It can move independently or together with the printhead assembly / leveling mechanism. For example, after the printhead assembly finishes spraying the printing material, the leveling mechanism levels the material, and the forming platform mechanism descends to complete the exposure, curing, and separation of the cured layer, the cleaning mechanism returns to its position along with the printhead assembly / leveling mechanism while cleaning; alternatively, the cleaning mechanism first cleans the residual resin in the bearing area, and then the printhead assembly / leveling mechanism follows to spray and level the printing material.

[0184] Optionally, the cleaning mechanism is a high-pressure air gun, which can blow away uncured printing material or residue on the material holding mechanism after each curing process. Accordingly, a purge port is provided on the side of the material holding mechanism where the high-pressure air gun is located, with the air outlet of the high-pressure air gun facing the purge port, for blowing away uncured printing material or residue. In addition, the high-pressure air gun can also be used to blow away cured printing material or residue.

[0185] Optionally, the cleaning mechanism is a scraper assembly. The scraper assembly can move relative to the bearing area through the action of the drive mechanism, scraping away excess printing material and residue from the material holding mechanism after the printing material has cured. The specific structure of the scraper assembly is described in the leveling assembly section and will not be repeated here. The structure and working principle of the two are the same; the only difference is that when the scraper assembly is used as a leveling assembly, it is used to scrape away the portion of the printing material exceeding the preset thickness, and when the scraper assembly is used as a cleaning mechanism, it is used to scrape away all uncured printing material and residue from the material holding mechanism.

[0186] As an optional embodiment, the above-mentioned 3D printing equipment may further include a calibration system for optical calibration of the optical mechanism and / or calibration of the feeding mechanism; wherein, the calibration system includes a camera device, a calibration device, and a calibration plate; the calibration plate is placed on the 3D printing equipment, and calibration points are formed on the calibration plate at a preset distance; the optical mechanism is used to project actual projection points at a preset distance onto the bearing area; the camera device is used to capture images of the calibration points on the calibration plate and the actual projection points on the bearing area; the calibration device is communicatively connected to the camera device.

[0187] As an optional embodiment, the above-mentioned 3D printing equipment further includes: a calibration system configured to calibrate and align the feeding point of the feeding mechanism and the projection point of the optical mechanism.

[0188] The calibration system is used to calibrate at least one of the optical mechanism and the feeding mechanism, thereby improving the accuracy of the printing process.

[0189] As an optional embodiment, the material holding mechanism includes a transparent film, a medium layer, and an upper transparent plate, with the transparent film attached to the upper transparent plate via the medium layer.

[0190] In some embodiments, the material holding mechanism includes at least one transparent film with a bearing area formed on it for holding the printing material. To reduce the adhesion between the cured layer and the material holding mechanism and facilitate separation, the transparent film is preferably a release film. In other embodiments, the transparent film may also be a film with strong surface polarity, allowing the resin-based printing material to adhere uniformly to its surface. Films with strong surface polarity include, but are not limited to, polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and optical homogenizing films. In other embodiments, the transparent film may also be a microporous film to aid in the removal of air bubbles caused by ink pressure between printing materials. Microporous films include, but are not limited to, PTFE films, FEP films, and PDMS films. In other embodiments, the transparent film may also be a polymer copolymer film; for example, fluoropolymers may be added to the raw materials of some highly polar films to enhance the release effect.

[0191] In some implementations, the transparent film can be fixed using either a lamination method or a stretching method. Specifically, the transparent film can be attached to the upper transparent plate via electrostatic adsorption or adhesive through a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer is typically a silicone layer, glue, adhesive, etc. The upper transparent plate is usually made of quartz, fused silica, aqueous white glass, or any other rigid material that is substantially transparent to the wavelength used and has substantially good optical quality, providing support for the transparent film while allowing light to pass through.

[0192] As an optional embodiment, the material holding mechanism includes a transparent membrane and a membrane frame, with the transparent membrane tightly fixed to the membrane frame.

[0193] As an optional embodiment, the membrane frame includes an upper membrane frame, on which the transparent membrane is stretched; or, the membrane frame includes an upper membrane frame and a lower membrane frame, with the transparent membrane tightly fixed between the upper and lower membrane frames.

[0194] Optionally, as one implementation of the membrane stretching method, the material holding mechanism includes a transparent membrane and a membrane frame, wherein the membrane frame only includes an upper membrane frame, and the transparent membrane is stretched on the upper membrane frame. Specifically, after the transparent membrane is stretched, its edges are fixed to the upper membrane frame, and the transparent membrane can be fixed to the upper membrane frame by means of adhesive or heat pressing.

[0195] Optionally, as another implementation of the membrane stretching method, the material holding mechanism includes a transparent membrane and a membrane frame. The membrane frame may include an upper membrane frame and a lower membrane frame, with the transparent membrane tightly stretched and fixed between the upper and lower membrane frames. The upper and lower membrane frames are detachably connected, and the transparent membrane is fixed between them. The transparent membrane can be stretched taut through the upper and lower membrane frames. When the transparent membrane needs to be replaced, simply disassemble the upper and lower membrane frames, remove the transparent membrane, and replace it directly.

[0196] As an optional embodiment, the material holding mechanism also includes an upper transparent plate disposed below the transparent film.

[0197] In the above-described tensioning mechanism, the transparent film is prone to deformation under stress during the operation of the leveling or cleaning mechanism. To enhance the support for the transparent film, the material holding mechanism also includes an upper transparent plate, which is positioned below the transparent film. The upper transparent plate is typically made of quartz, fused silica, aqueous white glass, or any other rigid material that is substantially transparent to the wavelength used and has substantially good optical quality, thus providing support for the transparent film while allowing light transmission. The aforementioned mechanism for tensioning or stretching the release film can also be found in patent documents WO2023138250A1, CN109454867A, and CN109664507A, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0198] As an optional embodiment, a fixing and constraining medium is provided between the upper transparent plate and the transparent film. The fixing and constraining medium includes one or more of the following: silicone layer, adhesive layer, and backing adhesive layer.

[0199] Preferably, a fixing constraint medium is provided between the upper transparent plate and the transparent film. This fixing constraint medium acts as a fixing constraint surface, which can stably constrain the transparent film to the upper transparent plate, preventing relative displacement of the transparent film relative to the upper transparent plate during the operation of the 3D printing equipment, thus affecting the printing process and printing accuracy. The specific material of the fixing constraint medium includes one or more of the following: silicone layer, adhesive layer, and backing adhesive layer.

[0200] As an optional embodiment, a first cavity is formed between the upper transparent plate and the transparent film, and fluid is injected into the first cavity.

[0201] Optionally, a first cavity is formed between the upper transparent plate and the transparent film, and a fluid is injected into the first cavity to inhibit polymerization and reduce separation force during the curing process of the printed material on the transparent film. The fluid includes, but is not limited to, at least one of oxygen-enriched liquid, inert liquid, oxygen, air, oxygen-enriched gas, and nitrogen. Specifically, the gas is preferably oxygen, air, or oxygen-enriched gas. The liquid is preferably an oxygen-enriched liquid that is impermeable to the transparent film, and the polymerization inhibitor is preferably any one or a random combination of o-nitrophenol, hydroquinone, p-hydroxyanisole, p-phenylenediamine, p-tert-butylcatechol, and phenothiazine.

[0202] In some embodiments, textures and micropores can be formed on the transparent film, and micropores can be formed on the upper transparent plate to improve the fluid permeability, thereby reducing separation force and improving printing efficiency. Specifically, for a film-coated material holding mechanism, it is preferable to form micropores on the upper transparent plate so that the fluid below the upper transparent plate can pass through the upper transparent plate and contact the transparent film.

[0203] In some embodiments, a polymerization inhibitor or inert liquid is coated on the surface of the carrier area of ​​the transparent film. This inert liquid includes, but is not limited to, liquid perfluorocarbon and fluorooil. During the operation of the 3D printing equipment, a layer of polymerization inhibitor or inert liquid can be supplied to the carrier area of ​​the transparent film before the printing material is supplied. The polymerization inhibitor or inert liquid can change the separation process of the cured layer in the photopolymerization printing process from solid-solid separation to solid-liquid separation, and can effectively reduce the pull-out force during the release process, thereby increasing the printing speed and printing area. Furthermore, since the printing interface is liquid, it can dissipate heat in a timely manner during high-speed printing to ensure material stability.

[0204] As an optional embodiment, the material holding mechanism further includes an air supply component and a lower transparent plate, the lower transparent plate being located below the upper transparent plate, forming a second cavity between the lower transparent plate and the upper transparent plate, and the air supply component being configured to inject gas into the second cavity.

[0205] In some embodiments, the material holding mechanism includes a transparent film, an air supply component, an upper transparent plate, and a lower transparent plate. The upper transparent plate is located below the transparent film, and the lower transparent plate is located below the upper transparent plate. A second cavity is formed between the lower transparent plate and the transparent film. The air supply component is configured to inject gas into the second cavity. The transparent film can be fixed using the aforementioned stretching or lamination method. The upper transparent plate under the transparent film supports it and prevents deformation under stress. The lower transparent plate of the material holding mechanism forms the second cavity with the upper transparent plate. The second cavity is used for inflation to reduce separation force and improve printing efficiency. Furthermore, textures and micropores can be provided on the transparent film or the upper transparent plate to increase fluid permeability, thereby reducing separation force and improving printing efficiency.

[0206] In addition, for film-coated material holding mechanisms, it is possible to improve the fluid permeability by forming microchannels on the surface of the transparent film using photolithography and forming microporous structures on the upper transparent plate, thereby reducing separation force.

[0207] The 3D printing apparatus according to an embodiment of this application further includes a separation mechanism for separating the 3D printed object formed by adhering and curing layers layer by layer to the molding platform. The separation mechanism includes any one of a shovel assembly, an ejection assembly, and an extrusion assembly.

[0208] The separation mechanism may include a shovel assembly. The shovel assembly includes: a blade for separating the 3D printed object from the molding platform; and a shovel drive assembly for driving at least one of the blade and the molding platform, causing relative movement between the blade and the molding platform to separate the 3D printed object from the molding platform by means of the blade. For a related configuration of the shovel assembly, please refer to patent document WO2023207034A1, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0209] The separation mechanism may include an ejection assembly. The molding platform has multiple through-holes, and the ejection assembly has multiple ejection elements, wherein as the ejection assembly approaches the molding platform relative to each other, the ejection elements can gradually extend from the through-holes to separate the 3D printed object from the molding platform. Related configurations of such ejection assemblies can be found in patent documents CN213383021U, CN218615474U, CN104608387B, and CN208410776U.

[0210] The separation mechanism may also include a tilting ejector assembly. The molding platform has a receiving groove; the tilting ejector assembly is rotatably connected to the molding platform, and the ejector assembly is rotatable from a first position to a second position. In the first position, the ejector assembly is at least partially embedded in the receiving groove, and in the second position, the ejector assembly is at least partially extended out of the receiving groove, thereby separating the 3D printed object from the molding platform. A related configuration of such an ejector assembly can be found in patent document CN217622224U.

[0211] The separation mechanism may also include an extrusion assembly. The forming platform includes a rigid structure, a flexible sheet, and one or more sheet handles attached to the flexible sheet; a first surface of the flexible sheet forms a profile for adhering a 3D printed object; the extrusion assembly is used to actuate the one or more sheet handles to deform at least a portion of the flexible sheet away from the rigid structure, thereby separating the 3D printed object from the forming surface. Related configurations of the extrusion assembly can be found in patent documents US20160288427A1 and US2022410477A1.

[0212] The 3D printing apparatus according to embodiments of this application further includes a receiving assembly. The receiving assembly includes a receiving member and a receiving drive assembly, wherein the receiving member has a receiving position for receiving a 3D printed object peeled from the forming platform at the receiving position; the receiving drive assembly is used to drive the receiving member to move to the receiving position; the receiving member also has an exit position for unloading the 3D printed object at the exit position; and the receiving member also has a waiting position spaced apart from the receiving position, the receiving member being configured to wait at the waiting position during the printing process of the 3D printing apparatus. In some embodiments, the exit position coincides with the waiting position, or the exit position is spaced apart from the waiting position.

[0213] In some embodiments, the receiving member has a receiving space for accommodating a 3D printed object and an outlet communicating with the receiving space. The receiving member assembly also includes a material pusher, which is at least partially disposed within the receiving space. The receiving member drive assembly is further configured to drive the material pusher toward the outlet when the receiving member reaches the outlet position, so as to push the 3D printed object contained in the receiving space out of the outlet.

[0214] In some embodiments, the receiving component has a receiving space for receiving the printed object and an outlet communicating with the receiving space. The receiving component assembly also includes a flipping component for flipping the receiving component at the outlet position to unload the 3D printed object contained in the receiving space. The relevant configurations of the above-mentioned receiving component assembly and receiving component can be found in patent document WO2023207034A1.

[0215] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an embodiment of a three-dimensional printing method is provided. It should be noted that the steps shown in the flowchart in the accompanying drawings can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions. Furthermore, although a logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described may be executed in a different order than that shown here.

[0216] The methods and embodiments provided in this application can be executed on mobile terminals, computer terminals, or similar computing devices. Figure 10 A hardware structure block diagram of a computer terminal for implementing a 3D printing method is shown. Figure 10 As shown, the computer terminal 80 may include one or more processors (shown as processors 802a, 802b, ..., 802n in the figure) (the processor may include, but is not limited to, a microprocessor MCU or a programmable logic device FPGA, etc.) and a memory 804 for storing data. In addition, it may also include: a display, an input / output interface (I / O interface), a universal serial bus (USB) port (which may be included as one of the ports of a BUS bus), a network interface, a power supply, and / or a camera. Those skilled in the art will understand that... Figure 10 The structure shown is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the structure of the aforementioned electronic device. For example, the computer terminal 80 may also include... Figure 10 The more or fewer components shown, or having the same Figure 10 The different configurations shown.

[0217] It should be noted that the aforementioned one or more processors and / or other data processing circuits are generally referred to herein as "data processing circuits". These data processing circuits may be wholly or partially embodied in software, hardware, firmware, or any other combination thereof. Furthermore, the data processing circuits may be a single, independent processing module, or may be wholly or partially integrated into any other element in the computer terminal 80. As involved in the embodiments of this application, the data processing circuit serves as a processor control mechanism (e.g., selection of a variable resistor termination path connected to an interface).

[0218] The memory 804 can be used to store software programs and modules of application software, such as the program instructions / data storage device corresponding to the 3D printing method in this embodiment of the invention. The processor executes various functional applications and data processing by running the software programs and modules stored in the memory 804, thereby realizing the 3D printing method of the aforementioned application. The memory 804 may include high-speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. In some instances, the memory 804 may further include memory remotely located relative to the processor, and these remote memories can be connected to the computer terminal 80 via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0219] The display can be, for example, a touchscreen liquid crystal display (LCD), which allows the user to interact with the user interface of the computer terminal 80.

[0220] Figure 11 This is a schematic flowchart of a three-dimensional printing method provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. This three-dimensional printing method can be applied to the three-dimensional printing equipment provided in the above embodiment or optional embodiments. Figure 11 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0221] Step S902: Obtain the 3D printing model, divide the 3D printing model into multiple slice layers, and generate a corresponding printing strategy for each slice layer. The printing strategy includes at least one of the following: relative motion information between the bearing area and the feeding component, material type of the high-viscosity printing material supplied by the feeding mechanism, and projection information of the optical mechanism.

[0222] Step S904: According to the printing strategy, control the pressure regulating valve to supply high-viscosity printing material to the bearing area. The viscosity of the high-viscosity printing material is greater than a predetermined viscosity threshold.

[0223] In related technologies, inkjet printers' printheads cannot eject high-viscosity printing materials, thus hindering 3D printing of such materials. This application employs a pressure regulating valve to smoothly supply high-viscosity printing material to the bearing area of ​​the material holding mechanism. This allows the high-viscosity printing material to be exposed by the optical mechanism in the bearing area to form a cured layer. This enables convenient and flexible use of high-viscosity printing materials for model printing in photopolymerization 3D printing equipment, solving the technical problem of inconvenient use of high-viscosity printing materials in existing technologies.

[0224] As an optional embodiment, the pressure regulating valve may include at least one of the following: a piezoelectric ceramic jet valve, an electrically controlled jet valve, an electromagnetically controlled jet valve, or a pneumatically controlled jet valve. All of the above-mentioned different types of pressure regulating valves can be used to supply high-viscosity printing materials with a viscosity greater than 500 centipoise and less than 200,000 centipoise.

[0225] As an optional embodiment, according to the printing strategy, controlling the pressure regulating valve to supply high-viscosity printing material to the bearing area includes the following steps: when the printhead assembly includes multiple pressure regulating valves, according to the printing strategy, determining the type of high-viscosity printing material supplied by each of the multiple pressure regulating valves, and determining the corresponding position of each of the multiple pressure regulating valves supplying high-viscosity printing material in the bearing area; controlling the multiple pressure regulating valves to supply their respective high-viscosity printing materials to the corresponding positions in the bearing area, such that the bearing area includes at least two types of high-viscosity printing materials.

[0226] Based on this optional embodiment, the technical problem of existing technologies that can only use a single high-viscosity printing material for 3D printing can be overcome. Different pressure regulating valves are used to supply different types of high-viscosity printing materials. By controlling the different pressure regulating valves to supply high-viscosity printing materials at different positions in the bearing area, the cured layer formed after exposure can be composed of different high-viscosity printing materials. This allows for the integral printing of 3D objects composed of different printing materials, greatly enriching the user's design freedom and the quality of the final 3D printed product, making this technical solution highly commercially valuable.

[0227] As an optional embodiment, the type of high-viscosity printing material supplied by each of the multiple pressure regulating valves is determined according to the printing strategy, including: determining that the viscosity of the different types of high-viscosity printing materials supplied by the multiple pressure regulating valves is different according to the printing strategy; or, determining that the color of the different types of high-viscosity printing materials supplied by the multiple pressure regulating valves is different according to the printing strategy; or, determining that both the color and viscosity of the different types of high-viscosity printing materials supplied by the multiple pressure regulating valves are different according to the printing strategy.

[0228] As an optional embodiment, according to the printing strategy, controlling the pressure regulating valve to supply high-viscosity printing material to the bearing area includes: controlling the drive mechanism according to the printing strategy to drive relative movement between the pressure regulating valve and the bearing area, so that the outlet position of the pressure regulating valve is aligned with the corresponding feeding position in the bearing area; and controlling the pressure regulating valve to supply the corresponding high-viscosity printing material to the bearing area.

[0229] As an optional embodiment, before controlling the pressure regulating valve to supply high-viscosity printing material to the bearing area, the above-described 3D printing method further includes the following step: controlling the coating mechanism to apply a wetting agent to a target area in the bearing area, wherein the target area is the area where high-viscosity printing material is subsequently supplied by the pressure regulating valve.

[0230] Alternatively, the operation steps for 3D printing using a coating mechanism can be implemented as follows:

[0231] Step 1: Apply a thin layer of wetting agent to the bearing area through the coating mechanism, wherein the bearing area can be the release film on the material holding mechanism;

[0232] Step 2: Control the feeding mechanism to apply another layer of high-viscosity printing material to the bearing area. The photocurable liquid resin material can be a photocurable liquid resin material. In this step, the high-viscosity printing material can spread well on the bearing area under the action of the wetting agent, which improves the subsequent printing performance.

[0233] Step 3: Move the molding platform so that it comes into contact with the high-viscosity printing material;

[0234] Step 4: Expose the bearing area using an optical mechanism to achieve layer curing and molding, thus obtaining a cured layer;

[0235] Step 5: The molding platform moves and peels the cured layer off the supporting area, for example, off the release film, after which the release film is cleaned;

[0236] Step 6: Repeat steps 1-5 to achieve multi-layer stacking of the curing layers until the 3D printed object is completed.

[0237] As an optional embodiment, the wetting agent can be an active wetting agent, which participates in the curing and molding of high-viscosity printing materials; the active wetting agent includes surfactants and additives, and further includes at least one of the following components: initiator, polymerization inhibitor, active monomer, and prepolymer. The types and proportions of components in the wetting agent are as described above in this application.

[0238] As an alternative embodiment, the wetting agent can be a non-reactive wetting agent, which includes surfactants and additives.

[0239] As an optional embodiment, the thickness of the wetting agent layer coated on the bearing area is 0.1 to 20 micrometers.

[0240] As an optional embodiment, after controlling the pressure regulating valve to supply high-viscosity printing material to the bearing area according to the printing strategy, the high-viscosity printing material in the bearing area can also be leveled to a preset thickness.

[0241] As an optional embodiment, before controlling the pressure regulating valve to supply high-viscosity printing material to the bearing area according to the printing strategy, the method further includes: heating the high-viscosity printing material supplied by the pressure regulating valve through a heating component, so that the temperature of the high-viscosity printing material during the feeding process is below 60 degrees Celsius.

[0242] Step S906: The printing material is exposed and cured by an optical mechanism according to the projection information to form a cured layer.

[0243] As an optional embodiment, before the printing material is exposed and cured by the optical mechanism according to the projection information to form a cured layer, the above-mentioned three-dimensional printing method may further include: controlling the forming platform in the forming platform mechanism to move to contact the high-viscosity printing material on the bearing area; the printing material is exposed and cured by the optical mechanism according to the projection information to form a cured layer, including: when the forming platform has not yet contacted the high-viscosity printing material, pre-exposing the high-viscosity printing material according to the projection information by the optical mechanism, so that a pre-cured material is formed at the bottom of the high-viscosity printing material; after the forming platform contacts the high-viscosity printing material, further exposing the high-viscosity printing material that has formed a partially pre-cured material according to the projection information by the optical mechanism to form a cured layer.

[0244] Based on this optional embodiment, the printing material can be pre-cured before exposure. For example, the printing material can be pre-exposed for a period of time before the molding platform is in place. The printing material on the bearing area can be exposed in advance, and the bottom of the printing material can be pre-cured to form a pre-cured material. This step can effectively reduce the proportion and size of pores in the 3D printed object.

[0245] Step S908: Control the molding platform mechanism to separate the cured layer.

[0246] As an optional embodiment, after the molding platform mechanism separates the cured layer, it also includes cleaning the printing residue remaining on the material holding mechanism.

[0247] As an optional embodiment, after the molding platform mechanism separates the cured layer, it also includes cleaning the residual printing material on the cured layer.

[0248] In the above steps, a pressure regulating valve is installed in the 3D printing equipment. By controlling the pressure regulating valve to supply high-viscosity printing material in the bearing area of ​​the material holding mechanism, the purpose of flexibly supplying high-viscosity printing material in the 3D printing equipment is achieved. This realizes the technical effect of using high-viscosity printing material to prepare 3D printed objects for users, and solves the technical problem that existing 3D printing equipment is difficult to print high-viscosity materials.

[0249] As an optional embodiment, where the printhead assembly further includes an inkjet printhead used to supply low-viscosity printing material with a viscosity less than a predetermined viscosity threshold to the carrier region, generating a corresponding printing strategy for each slice layer includes: generating region division information for each slice layer, wherein the region division information is used to divide the carrier region into a first region and a second region, the first region being used to receive high-viscosity printing material supplied by a pressure regulating valve, and the second region being used to receive low-viscosity printing material supplied by the inkjet printhead; controlling the pressure regulating valve to supply high-viscosity printing material to the carrier region according to the printing strategy includes: controlling the pressure regulating valve to supply high-viscosity printing material to the first region of the carrier region according to the region division information; the method further includes: controlling the inkjet printhead to supply low-viscosity printing material to the second region of the carrier region according to the region division information.

[0250] In related technologies, if different components of a 3D printed object require different types of printing materials, then each component needs to be printed separately, and then the printed components need to be assembled. Based on this optional embodiment, low-viscosity and high-viscosity printing materials can be used simultaneously in the same 3D printed object for integrated printing, eliminating the need for separate component printing and subsequent assembly, greatly reducing the process complexity of multi-material 3D printing. Optionally, the nozzle assembly may also include a water-soluble material nozzle, which supplies water-soluble material to the support area to form the support structure of the 3D printed object. The area division information for each slice layer may also include a third area, which receives the water-soluble material supplied by the water-soluble material nozzle. Subsequently, according to the printing strategy, the water-soluble material nozzle can be controlled to supply water-soluble material to the third area, and the support structure will also be printed during the subsequent printing process.

[0251] It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the foregoing method embodiments are all described as a series of actions. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the described order of actions, because according to the present invention, some steps can be performed in other orders or simultaneously. Furthermore, those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily essential to the present invention.

[0252] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the 3D printing method according to the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platform. Of course, it can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) and includes several instructions to cause a terminal device (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods of the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0253] Embodiments of the present invention may provide a computer device. Optionally, in this embodiment, the computer device may be located in at least one of a plurality of network devices in a computer network. The computer device includes a memory and a processor.

[0254] The memory can be used to store software programs and modules, such as the program instructions / modules corresponding to the 3D printing method and apparatus in this embodiment of the invention. The processor executes various functional applications and data processing by running the software programs and modules stored in the memory, thereby realizing the aforementioned 3D printing method. The memory may include high-speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. In some instances, the memory may further include memory remotely located relative to the processor, and these remote memories can be connected to a computer terminal via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0255] The processor can access information and applications stored in the memory via a transmission device to perform the following steps: acquiring a 3D printing model; dividing the 3D printing model into multiple slice layers; generating a corresponding printing strategy for each slice layer; the printing strategy includes at least one of the following: relative motion information between the bearing area and the feeding component; the material type of the high-viscosity printing material supplied by the feeding mechanism; and projection information of the optical mechanism; according to the printing strategy, controlling the pressure regulating valve to supply high-viscosity printing material to the bearing area, wherein the viscosity of the high-viscosity printing material is greater than a predetermined viscosity threshold; the printing material is exposed and cured by the optical mechanism according to the projection information to form a cured layer; and controlling the forming platform mechanism to separate the cured layer.

[0256] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps in the various methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a program instructing the hardware related to the terminal device. The program can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium, which may include: flash drive, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk or optical disk, etc.

[0257] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a non-volatile storage medium. Optionally, in this embodiment, the aforementioned non-volatile storage medium can be used to store the program code executed by the 3D printing method provided in the above embodiments.

[0258] Optionally, in this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium may be located in any computer terminal in a group of computer terminals in a computer network, or in any mobile terminal in a group of mobile terminals.

[0259] Optionally, in this embodiment, the non-volatile storage medium is configured to store program code for performing the following steps: acquiring a 3D printing model, dividing the 3D printing model into multiple slice layers, generating a corresponding printing strategy for each slice layer, the printing strategy including at least one of the following: relative motion information between the bearing area and the feeding component, the material type of the high-viscosity printing material supplied by the feeding mechanism, and projection information of the optical mechanism; according to the printing strategy, controlling the pressure regulating valve to supply high-viscosity printing material to the bearing area, the viscosity of the high-viscosity printing material being greater than a predetermined viscosity threshold; the printing material being exposed and cured by the optical mechanism according to the projection information to form a cured layer; and controlling the molding platform mechanism to separate the cured layer.

[0260] The sequence numbers of the above embodiments of the present invention are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0261] In the above embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0262] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed technical content can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, the division of units can be a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the displayed or discussed mutual couplings, direct couplings, or communication connections may be through some interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between units or modules may be electrical or other forms.

[0263] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0264] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0265] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard drives, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0266] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional printing device for forming three-dimensional printed objects, characterized in that, include: The material holding mechanism defines the area used to hold the printing material. A feeding mechanism for supplying the printing material, wherein the feeding mechanism includes a regulating valve for supplying the bearing area with printing material having a viscosity greater than a predetermined viscosity threshold, wherein the predetermined viscosity threshold of the printing material supplied by the regulating valve at 20~30°C is 50~500000 centipoise; An optical mechanism is used to expose the printing material in the bearing area, so that the printing material undergoes a photocuring reaction to form a cured layer; A construction mechanism, including a molding platform, is used to adhere the cured layer layer by layer and to separate the cured layer layer by layer from the bearing area; The feeding mechanism includes at least two regulating valves. The first regulating valve is used to supply a first type of printing material and is configured to apply the first type of printing material to a first portion of the area to be printed. The second regulating valve is used to supply a second type of printing material and is configured to apply the second type of printing material to a second portion of the area to be printed. The first type of printing material differs from the second type of printing material in at least one of viscosity, color, mechanical properties, and curing properties.

2. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first regulating valve and the second regulating valve are configured to apply printing material based on printing information of the three-dimensional printing model. The printing information includes: the slice outline of the three-dimensional model to be printed, the set of point coordinates of the slice outline, and the movement trajectory information of the feeding mechanism based on the set of point coordinates.

3. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A drive mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism is used to realize relative movement between the material holding mechanism and the material feeding mechanism, so as to allow the material feeding mechanism to quantitatively supply the printing material of a preset type in the bearing area of ​​the material holding mechanism.

4. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The driving mechanism includes a first driving component, which is used to at least drive the feeding mechanism to move in space; and / or, The driving mechanism includes a second driving component, which is used to drive the material holding mechanism to move in space.

5. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive mechanism is used to change the position of the feeding mechanism in the horizontal plane, and the active area of ​​the feeding mechanism occupies more than 1% of the bearing area.

6. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The driving mechanism includes a third driving component, which is used to drive the building mechanism to perform lifting and lowering movements.

7. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The regulating valve includes at least one of the following: flow regulating valve, pressure regulating valve, temperature regulating valve, dispensing valve, and level regulating valve.

8. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The regulating valve is configured to apply one or more drops of the printing material at a time in the bearing area.

9. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The regulating valve is a pressure regulating valve, which includes any one of the following: a piezoelectric ceramic injection valve, an electrically controlled injection valve, an electromagnetically controlled injection valve, or a pneumatically controlled injection valve.

10. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The outlet diameter of the piezoelectric ceramic jet valve is 0.01mm-10mm, the jet linewidth of the piezoelectric ceramic jet valve is 0.02-15mm, and the piezoelectric ceramic jet valve is configured to jet out printing material with a thickness of 50-300um.

11. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism includes a heating component for heating the printing material supplied by the regulating valve to a predetermined temperature.

12. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical system of the optical mechanism is any one of a DLP projection system, a Micro-LED display system, an LCOS optical system, an LCD display system, an LCD projection system, and a laser galvanometer scanning system.

13. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The projection area of ​​the light from the optical mechanism occupies 80%-110% of the area to be printed.

14. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 13, characterized in that, The projection area of ​​the light from the optical mechanism occupies 90%-100% of the area to be printed.

15. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism further includes a first nozzle, wherein the first nozzle is used to supply printing material with a viscosity less than the predetermined viscosity threshold to the bearing area.

16. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism also includes a water-soluble material nozzle, wherein the water-soluble material nozzle is used to supply water-soluble material to the bearing area, and the water-soluble material is used to construct the support structure of the three-dimensional printed object to be formed.

17. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A coating mechanism for pre-applying a wetting agent before supplying the printing material, the wetting agent being used to spread the printing material in the bearing area.

18. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that, The wetting agent applied to the bearing area is configured to occupy a first area of ​​the bearing area, and the supplied printing material is configured to occupy a second area of ​​the first area.

19. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that, The coating mechanism includes an application device and a wetting agent storage container, wherein the application device is used to apply the wetting agent from the wetting agent storage container to the bearing area.

20. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that, The application device includes at least one of the following: a surface coating device, a dot coating device, and a line coating device.

21. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 20, characterized in that, The surface coating apparatus includes a dispensing mechanism and a coater, wherein the dispensing mechanism and the coater together define a flow channel for a wetting agent, and the coater is selected from any one of a brush, a scraper, and a roller.

22. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 20, characterized in that, The surface coating device includes: a coater brush head, a coater clamp, a push rod, and a mounting back plate; wherein the coater clamp, fixed to the push rod, is used to hold the coater brush head, and the push rod is fixed to the mounting back plate.

23. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 20, characterized in that, The dot coating device includes a nozzle for applying the wetting agent to the bearing area by single-point or multi-point spraying.

24. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material holding mechanism includes a release film, wherein the release film at least partially defines the carrying area.

25. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 24, characterized in that, The release film is a fluoropolymer film, wherein the fluoropolymer film is at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene film, fluorinated ethylene propylene film, perfluoroalkoxy resin film, ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene copolymer film, ethylene and trifluorochloroethylene copolymer film, polyvinylidene fluoride film, and polyvinyl fluoride film.

26. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 24, characterized in that, The release film includes a light scattering structure, which includes at least one of surface texture, fiber structure, and nanoparticles.

27. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 24, characterized in that, The release film has an ultraviolet light transmittance of 50% to 100% and a thickness of 10 micrometers to 300 micrometers.

28. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material holding mechanism includes a transparent film, a medium layer, and an upper transparent plate, wherein the transparent film is attached to the upper transparent plate via the medium layer.

29. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material holding mechanism includes a transparent membrane and a membrane frame, with the transparent membrane tightly fixed to the membrane frame.

30. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 29, characterized in that, The membrane frame includes an upper membrane frame, and the transparent membrane is stretched onto the upper membrane frame; or... The membrane frame includes an upper membrane frame and a lower membrane frame, and the transparent membrane is tightly fixed between the upper membrane frame and the lower membrane frame.

31. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 29, characterized in that, The material holding mechanism also includes an upper transparent plate, which is disposed below the transparent film.

32. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 31, characterized in that, A fixing and constraining medium is provided between the upper transparent plate and the transparent film, and the fixing and constraining medium includes one or more of the following: silicone layer, adhesive layer, and backing adhesive layer.

33. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 31, characterized in that, A first cavity is formed between the upper transparent plate and the transparent film, and fluid is injected into the first cavity.

34. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 33, characterized in that, The fluid is at least one of oxygen-enriched liquid, inert liquid, oxygen, air, oxygen-enriched gas, and nitrogen.

35. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 31 or 32, characterized in that, The material holding mechanism also includes an air supply component and a lower transparent plate. The lower transparent plate is located below the upper transparent plate, and a second cavity is formed between the lower transparent plate and the upper transparent plate. The air supply component is configured to inject gas into the second cavity.

36. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A leveling mechanism is used to maintain the thickness of the printing material supplied by the feeding mechanism to the receiving mechanism within a preset range; And / or, A cleaning mechanism is used to remove printing material remaining on the bearing area and / or the cured layer after the molding platform separates the cured layer.

37. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 36, characterized in that, The leveling mechanism includes any one of a scraper assembly, a leveling roller assembly, a roller assembly, or a push rod assembly.

38. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 36, characterized in that, The cleaning mechanism includes any one of a scraper assembly, an air gun, and a wiping assembly.

39. The three-dimensional printing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes: a calibration system, which is used to perform optical calibration on the optical mechanism and / or to calibrate the feeding mechanism; The calibration system includes a camera device, a calibration device, and a calibration board; The calibration plate is used to be placed on the 3D printing equipment, and calibration points are formed on the calibration plate at a preset distance. The optical mechanism is used to project actual projection points distributed at a preset distance onto the bearing area; The camera device is used to capture images of the calibration points on the calibration plate and the actual projected points on the bearing area; The calibration device is communicatively connected to the camera device.

40. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A calibration system configured to calibrate and align the feeding point of the feeding mechanism and the projection point of the optical mechanism.

41. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A separation mechanism is used to separate the three-dimensional printed object formed by adhering and curing layers layer by layer to the molding platform.

42. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 41, characterized in that, The separation mechanism includes any one of a shovel assembly, an ejection assembly, and a squeezing assembly.

43. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 42, characterized in that, The shovel assembly includes: A spatula is used to separate the 3D printed object from the molding platform; A shovel drive assembly for driving at least one of the shovel and the forming platform, such that the shovel and the forming platform move relative to each other to separate the 3D printed object from the forming platform by means of the shovel.

44. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 42, characterized in that, The molding platform has multiple through holes, and the ejection assembly has multiple ejection elements, wherein as the ejection assembly and the molding platform approach each other, the ejection elements can gradually extend from the through holes to separate the 3D printed object from the molding platform.

45. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 42, characterized in that, The molding platform has a receiving groove; the ejector assembly is rotatably connected to the molding platform and is rotatable from a first position to a second position. In the first position, the ejector assembly is at least partially embedded in the receiving groove, and in the second position, the ejector assembly is at least partially extended out of the receiving groove to separate the 3D printed object from the molding platform.

46. ​​The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 42, characterized in that, The molding platform includes a rigid structure, a flexible sheet, and one or more sheet handles attached to the flexible sheet; a first surface of the flexible sheet forms a molding surface for adhering the 3D printed object. The extrusion assembly is used to actuate the one or more sheet handles to deform at least a portion of the flexible sheet away from the rigid structure, thereby separating the 3D printed object from the forming surface.

47. The three-dimensional printing device according to claim 41, characterized in that, Also includes: The connector assembly includes: A receiving component having a receiving position for receiving the 3D printed object stripped from the molding platform at the receiving position; A receiving component driving assembly is used to drive the receiving component to move to the receiving position; The receiving component also has an outlet position, and the receiving assembly is further used to unload the 3D printed object at the outlet position; and The receiving component also has a waiting position spaced apart from the receiving position, and the receiving component is configured to wait at the waiting position during the printing process of the 3D printing equipment.

48. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 47, characterized in that, The discharge position coincides with the waiting position, or the discharge position is spaced apart from the waiting position.

49. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 47, characterized in that, The receiving component has a receiving space for accommodating the 3D printed object and a discharge port communicating with the receiving space. The receiving component assembly also includes a material pusher, which is at least partially disposed within the receiving space. The receiving component driving assembly is further configured to drive the material pusher toward the discharge port when the receiving component reaches the discharge position, so as to push the 3D printed object contained in the receiving space out of the discharge port.

50. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 47, characterized in that, The receiving component has a receiving space for receiving the 3D printed object and a discharge port communicating with the receiving space. The receiving component assembly also includes a flipping component, which is used to flip the receiving component at the discharge position to unload the 3D printed object contained in the receiving space.

51. A three-dimensional printing method, applied to a three-dimensional printing device, the three-dimensional printing device comprising a material holding mechanism, a material feeding mechanism, an optical mechanism, and a building mechanism, characterized in that, The 3D printing method includes: The feeding mechanism supplies printing material to the bearing area of ​​the material receiving mechanism; then, The optical mechanism is used to expose the printing material in the bearing area, causing the printing material to undergo a photocuring reaction to form a cured layer; then The curing layer is adhered to and separated from the bearing area using the construction mechanism; The feeding mechanism includes a regulating valve for supplying printing material with a viscosity greater than a predetermined viscosity threshold to the bearing area. The predetermined viscosity threshold of the printing material supplied by the regulating valve at 20-30°C is 50-500,000 centipoise. The feeding mechanism includes at least two regulating valves. A first regulating valve is used to apply a first type of printing material to a first part of the area to be printed, and a second regulating valve is used to apply a second type of printing material to a second part of the area to be printed. The first type of printing material differs from the second type of printing material in at least one of viscosity, color, mechanical properties, and curing properties.

52. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 51, characterized in that, Based on the printing information of the 3D printing model, printing material is applied using the first regulating valve and the second regulating valve. The printing information includes: the slice outline of the 3D model to be printed, the set of point coordinates of the slice outline, and the movement trajectory information of the feeding mechanism based on the set of point coordinates.

53. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 51, characterized in that, The regulating valve includes at least one of the following: flow regulating valve, pressure regulating valve, temperature regulating valve, dispensing valve, and level regulating valve.

54. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 51, characterized in that, The regulating valve is a pressure regulating valve, including any of the following: piezoelectric ceramic injection valve, electrically controlled injection valve, electromagnetically controlled injection valve, and pneumatically controlled injection valve.

55. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 51, characterized in that, The drive mechanism of the 3D printing equipment is activated to achieve relative movement between the material holding mechanism and the material supply mechanism, and the material supply mechanism quantitatively supplies the preset type of printing material to the bearing area of ​​the material holding mechanism.

56. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 51, characterized in that, The 3D printing method further includes: using the coating mechanism of the 3D printing equipment to pre-apply a wetting agent to the bearing area, the wetting agent being used to extend the subsequently supplied printing material.

57. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 56, characterized in that, The wetting agent is applied to a first area of ​​the bearing region using a coating mechanism, and the printing material is supplied to a second area of ​​the first region using a feeding mechanism.

58. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 56, characterized in that, The wetting agent is an active wetting agent, which includes surfactants and additives, and also includes at least one of the following components: initiator, polymerization inhibitor, active monomer, and prepolymer.

59. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 56, characterized in that, The wetting agent is a non-reactive wetting agent, which includes surfactants and additives.

60. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 56, characterized in that, The thickness of the wetting agent applied to the bearing area in a single application is 0.1 to 50 micrometers.

61. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 56, characterized in that, The 3D printing method includes: The wetting agent is applied to the bearing area beforehand, followed by the supply of the printing material; Exposure is performed using the optical mechanism to cure at least a portion of the wetting agent and a portion of the printing material onto the material holding mechanism; The molding platform is controlled to move to contact the printing material in the bearing area; and Exposure is performed using the optical mechanism to cure the remaining portion of the printed material on the molding platform.

62. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 51, characterized in that, After the curing layer is adhered to and separated from the bearing area using the construction mechanism, the residual printing material on the material receiving mechanism is cleaned, and / or the residual printing material on the curing layer is cleaned.

63. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 51, characterized in that, After the printing material is supplied to the bearing area of ​​the material holding mechanism using the feeding mechanism, the printing material in the bearing area is leveled to a preset thickness.

64. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 51, characterized in that, Before the feeding mechanism supplies the printing material to the bearing area of ​​the material holding mechanism, the heating component of the 3D printing equipment heats the printing material supplied by the regulating valve so that the printing material reaches a preset temperature.

65. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 51, characterized in that, The 3D printing equipment further includes a separation mechanism and a receiving assembly, wherein the separation mechanism is used to separate the 3D printed object from the forming platform, and the receiving assembly includes a receiving component and a receiving drive component; the 3D printing method includes: Use a receiving drive assembly to move the receiving part to the receiving position; Control the movement of at least one of the separation mechanism and the molding platform to separate the 3D printed object from the molding platform and allow the receiving part at the receiving position to receive the separated 3D printed object; Control the receiving part to move from the receiving position to the discharging position to unload the 3D printed object.

66. The three-dimensional printing method according to claim 65, characterized in that, The receiving component also has a waiting position spaced apart from the receiving position, the receiving component being configured to wait at the waiting position during the printing process of the 3D printing equipment, wherein the output position coincides with the waiting position, or the output position is spaced apart from the waiting position.

67. A non-volatile storage medium, characterized in that, The non-volatile storage medium includes a stored program, wherein the three-dimensional printing method of any one of claims 51 to 66 is executed when the program is run.

68. A computer device, characterized in that, The computer device includes a memory and a processor, the memory being used to store a program, and the processor being used to run the program stored in the memory, wherein the program, when running, executes the three-dimensional printing method according to any one of claims 51 to 66.

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