Array type 3D printer based on microwave induction heating

Abstract

The array type 3D printer based on microwave induction heating comprises a base used for receiving a printed piece, a reflection microwave type or / and shielding microwave type printing head is arranged above the base, and a reflection or / and shielding microwave part is arranged on the periphery of the base. Corresponding absorbable microwave material lines are arranged in the reflection microwave type or / and shielding microwave type printing heads, and the reflection microwave type or / and shielding microwave type printing heads are provided with conveying control parts corresponding to the absorbable microwave material lines. The reflection microwave type or / and shielding microwave type printing heads are in an array type, and the reflection microwave type or / and shielding microwave type printing heads and the array type absorbable microwave material lines are in one-to-one correspondence; and microwave heating parts are arranged outside the reflecting or / and shielding microwave part and the printing head. According to the invention, simultaneous heating and printing of multiple array heads can be realized, the size of the printing head can be greatly reduced, the printing time is shortened, the specific absorbable microwave material line is used for replacing metal powder, the cost is saved, and the energy is saved and the environment is protected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of 3D printing technology, specifically relating to a microwave induction heating array-type 3D printer. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, organic material products or metal products are mostly made using molds or 3D printing. Because molds are expensive to make and have a long production cycle, they need to be mass-produced to offset the costs. Furthermore, molds cannot be modified at will, and one mold can only be used for one type of metal structure product.

[0003] There are two ways to 3D print metal products: one is to solidify metal powder layer by layer with laser, and the other is to heat metal wires by ohmic heating.

[0004] Currently, most 3D metal printing methods involve layering metal powder and then curing each layer using laser heating. Because the metal powder production process is energy-intensive and complex, the cost of the metal powder is relatively high. Furthermore, since laser melting and curing is used, the laser is typically emitted by a laser device, and current lasers generally have low electro-optical conversion efficiency, resulting in significant energy consumption. Additionally, laser scanning often employs single-point heating and scanning, leading to long printing times and overall time consumption.

[0005] Another advanced metal printing method currently available uses ohmic heating, which requires heating the metal wire with electricity to melt it. This necessitates applying voltage to the base and heating the metal wire used for printing, thus charging the entire printing system. This poses a significant safety risk. Furthermore, this printing method typically uses only one printhead, resulting in a relatively slow and time-consuming printing speed.

[0006] There are two ways to 3D print organic products: printing with a single printhead using filamentary materials or using SLA liquid curing.

[0007] Linear materials are typically printed using a single printhead, employing a point-to-point scanning method with single-point heating and scanning, resulting in long printing times and significant time consumption. Furthermore, existing linear printheads require separate heating components and transport control components placed close to the printhead exit, making ordinary printheads bulky, heavy, and difficult to control. Miniaturization of the printhead diameter and array printing also present challenges.

[0008] In addition, another relatively advanced SLA liquid curing method currently uses laser scanning and heating curing, which can be achieved through array laser scanning. However, laser curing currently consumes a lot of energy and is not energy-efficient, and the resin required for printing is relatively expensive, resulting in high costs.

[0009] To address the shortcomings of existing organic product manufacturing methods (high material cost, high time cost, and high energy consumption) and existing metal 3D product manufacturing methods (slow speed, high metal material cost, high energy consumption, safety concerns, complex structure, low reliability, difficulty in miniaturizing the print head, and difficulty in achieving high-density array printing), a microwave induction heating array 3D printer needs to be proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0010] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention discloses a microwave induction heating array-based 3D printer.

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A microwave induction heating array-type 3D printer includes a base for receiving printed parts, a microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding print head disposed on top of the base, microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding components disposed on the outer periphery of the base, and corresponding microwave-absorbing material lines disposed inside the microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding print heads. A conveying control component is disposed on each microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding print head corresponding to the microwave-absorbing material lines. The microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding print heads are array-type, and the microwave-absorbing material lines are array-type microwave-absorbing material lines, with a one-to-one correspondence between the microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding print heads and the array-type microwave-absorbing material lines. Microwave heating components are disposed on the exterior of both the microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding components and the print head.

[0012] Furthermore, the microwave induction heating array 3D printer also includes an adjustable height bracket, on which the microwave reflecting and / or shielding components are integrally mounted, and the microwave reflecting and / or shielding printhead is integrally mounted, and the overall height of the microwave heating components is adjustable.

[0013] Furthermore, the microwave induction heating array 3D printer also includes a microwave-absorbing material line detection component, and the adjustable height support is also provided with a microwave-absorbing material line detection component for detecting the lower end position of the array microwave-absorbing material line.

[0014] Furthermore, the microwave-absorbing material line detection component employs multiple arranged camera components.

[0015] Furthermore, the reflective microwave type and / or shielded microwave type printhead is composed of a microwave shielding and / or microwave reflective material layer, or the reflective microwave type and / or shielded microwave type printhead is covered with a microwave shielding and / or microwave reflective material layer on the outside of the printhead.

[0016] Furthermore, the array of microwave-absorbing material lines are arranged longitudinally.

[0017] Furthermore, the array-type microwave-absorbing material line is made by mixing microwave-absorbing materials into an organic or metal printing line, and the amount mixed in is controlled between 0.0001% and 99.99999% according to the material requirements.

[0018] Furthermore, the transport control components are three-dimensionally mounted on the upper part of the printhead, and the transport control components are in contact with the microwave-absorbing material lines. The transport control components of adjacent arrays are not on the same plane.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention relates to a microwave induction heating array 3D printer that uses electromagnetic induction coils to heat an array of specific microwave-absorbing material lines. By avoiding bulky heating components, it enables simultaneous heating and printing of multiple array heads, significantly reducing print head size and printing time. Using specific microwave-absorbing material lines instead of metal powder saves costs, is energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, and offers high reliability, making it suitable for a large market. Furthermore, the heating components are separated from the print head, and the transport control components are positioned away from the print head outlet. This reduces the size and weight of the accompanying heating components, decreases the diameter of the line at the print head outlet, increases printing accuracy, enables array printing, increases the density of the array print heads, and increases printing speed, offering significant advantages. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0021] List of identifiers in attached diagrams: 1. Microwave heating component; 2. Arrayed microwave-absorbing material line; 3. Microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding printhead; 4. Microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding component; 5. Conveyor control component; 6. Base; 7. Microwave-absorbing material line detection component. Implementation

[0022] The present invention will be further illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the following specific embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0023] like Figure 1As shown, this embodiment describes a microwave induction heating array-type 3D printer. This microwave induction heating array-type 3D printer includes a base 6 for receiving the printed part. A reflective microwave type and / or shielded microwave type print head 3 is disposed above the base. A reflective microwave type and / or shielded microwave component 4 is disposed around the outer periphery of the base. Each reflective microwave type and / or shielded microwave type print head 3 contains a corresponding microwave-absorbing material line 2. A conveying control component 5 is disposed on each reflective microwave type and / or shielded microwave type print head corresponding to the microwave-absorbing material line 2. The reflective microwave type and / or shielded microwave type print head is array-type, and the microwave-absorbing material line 2 is an array of microwave-absorbing material lines. The reflective microwave type and / or shielded microwave type print head 3 corresponds one-to-one with the array of microwave-absorbing material lines 2. Microwave heating components are disposed on the exterior of both the reflective microwave type and / or shielded microwave component 4 and the print head.

[0024] The microwave induction heating array 3D printer described in this embodiment also includes an adjustable height bracket. The microwave reflecting and / or shielding component 4 is integrally mounted on the adjustable height bracket, the microwave reflecting and / or shielding print head 3 is integrally mounted on the adjustable height bracket, and the overall height of the microwave heating component 1 is adjustable.

[0025] The microwave induction heating array 3D printer described in this embodiment also includes a microwave-absorbing material line detection component 7, and the adjustable height bracket is also provided with a microwave-absorbing material line detection component for detecting the lower end position of the array-type microwave-absorbing material line.

[0026] Using the above scheme, the working process of a microwave induction heating array 3D printer in this embodiment is as follows: The conveying control unit 5 controls the input of the microwave-absorbing material wires 2, allowing the metal wires at the desired printing location to enter the space enveloped by microwaves emitted by the microwave heating unit 1. Then, the microwave-absorbing material wire detection unit 7 detects that the required microwave-absorbing material wires 2 have entered the desired space (microwave radiation area), ensuring that the microwave-absorbing material wires 2 corresponding to the non-printing point do not enter the required heating space. The microwave-absorbing material wire detection unit 7 can detect this through a multi-position array camera. Then, the microwave heating unit 1 remotely heats multiple microwave-absorbing material wires 2 with microwaves, causing them to melt and fall off or adhere to the desired printing location, and then cool and solidify. While the microwave heating unit 1 is heating, the reflective microwave and / or shielded microwave printhead protects specific microwave-absorbing material wires 2 within the printhead from being heated, ensuring that only the parts that need heating are heated, and that the internal microwave-absorbing material wires 2 are not heated by microwave radiation. The reflective and / or shielded microwave unit 4 protects the parts that have already been printed and fallen onto the base from being heated. In this embodiment, the feed control component 5 can control the input and output of the metal wire by relying on friction through a rotating wheel. This is a conventional technique in the art and will not be described in detail here. The feed control component 5 is located on the upper part of the reflective microwave and / or shielded microwave printhead 3. This allows the feed control components 5 of different arrays and different printheads to be staggered in the vertical direction, resulting in a smaller spacing between the arrayed printheads, a higher density, higher printing accuracy, and a faster printing speed.

[0027] Conventional 3D printers typically have printheads with heating elements. Because they use linear materials, they require a filament delivery control unit, usually implemented using a rotary wheel. Since the heating control unit melts the filament, a portion of the printhead near the outlet is liquefied (liquidized by heating). This liquefied portion is generally quite viscous. To better deliver the filament, the delivery control unit is usually positioned close to the upper part of the heating element. This results in conventional printheads being large, heavy, and bulky, limiting design flexibility. In contrast, the molten portion of the printhead in this invention is located below the printhead outlet. This means the viscosity of the liquefied liquid does not affect filament delivery. The filament delivery unit can be installed further away from the printhead outlet. Based on the spatial distribution of the three-dimensional array, the delivery control units for different printheads can be positioned differently. Traditional delivery control units are typically implemented using rotating gears; similar devices can be used here, but with a wider and more flexible installation range, allowing for greater distances from the printhead outlet. Therefore, different arrays can be installed in different locations, avoiding overcrowding in the same area and enabling high-density arrays.

[0028] In this embodiment, the microwave shielding component can be a copper mesh, copper strip, or copper tube; the microwave reflecting component is made of tin or a material wrapped in tin foil. The printhead in this embodiment can be directly constructed from a copper tube, because copper tubes have microwave shielding properties, preventing the microwave-absorbing material wires inside the printhead from being heated by microwaves.

[0029] In this embodiment, the microwave reflecting and / or shielding component 4, the microwave reflecting and / or shielding printhead 3, and the microwave heating component 1 are all mounted on an adjustable-height bracket. As the printing height increases, the array of microwave-absorbing material lines, the microwave reflecting and / or shielding printhead, the microwave reflecting and / or shielding component, and the microwave heating component 1 located inside the printhead rise synchronously, enabling control over the melting, cooling, and solidification of the array of specific microwave-absorbing material lines within the heating space. The adjustable-height bracket described in this embodiment can be any adjustable-height bracket available in the prior art, and will not be elaborated further.

[0030] In this embodiment, the reflective microwave type and / or shielded microwave type printhead is composed of a microwave shielding and / or microwave reflective material layer, or the reflective microwave type and / or shielded microwave type printhead is covered with a microwave shielding and / or microwave reflective material layer on the outside of the printhead.

[0031] In this embodiment, the array of absorbable microwave materials is arranged longitudinally.

[0032] The array-type microwave-absorbing material line described in this embodiment is made by mixing microwave-absorbing material into organic or metal printing lines. The amount mixed in is controlled between 0.0001% and 99.99999% depending on the material requirements. The mixing method is simple and low-cost; the metal can be melted or heated into a liquid, and then iron oxide powder can be added before fabricating the line. This method is simpler and lower in cost than making it into powder, and iron oxide is inexpensive, making it even more cost-effective than photocurable materials. The microwave-absorbing material in this embodiment uses iron oxide powder. Iron oxide powder can be heated by microwaves, and its microwave absorption performance comes from its combination of ferrimagnetism and dielectric properties. Its relative permeability and relative conductivity are both complex, generating both dielectric loss and magnetostriction. Therefore, ferrite microwave-absorbing materials have excellent microwave performance. In addition, its dielectric constant is relatively low, allowing it to be mixed with other absorbers to adjust the electromagnetic parameters of the coating, making it an important electromagnetic wave absorber. This is a mature microwave absorbing material.

[0033] Iron oxide is inexpensive, cheaper than powdered and liquid photosensitive materials, which can significantly reduce the material cost of printing metals. The simultaneous printing with multiple printheads greatly increases printing speed and saves printing time. Because it uses long-distance electromagnetic induction heating, the printhead structure is simple; there are no heated components on the printhead, allowing for very fine details and dense arrays, resulting in high precision and reliability. Furthermore, the absence of internal heating devices reduces the printhead's size. Using microwave heating avoids the low overall efficiency of laser printing caused by multiple energy conversion systems (electro-optical and photothermal), achieving a direct, high-efficiency electrothermal conversion system, thus offering energy-saving and environmentally friendly advantages.

[0034] In this embodiment, the conveying control component is installed three-dimensionally, mounted on the upper part of the print head, and in contact with the microwave-absorbing material line. The conveying control components of adjacent arrays are not on the same plane.

[0035] In operation, organic or metal wires containing iron oxide are fed into the printhead via a conveying device. The conveying length is determined by whether the array point needs to be printed. Wires requiring printing are conveyed a longer length to extend beyond the printhead and be heated by microwaves, while wires at points not requiring printing are conveyed a shorter length to prevent them from extending beyond the printhead and thus avoiding heating and printing. The shaded area in the diagram represents the microwave heating component and the microwaves it emits; these are the areas that can be heated. By staggering adjacent conveying control components as shown in the diagram, a higher density array of printheads can be achieved.

[0036] It should be noted that the above content merely illustrates the technical concept of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and all such improvements and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A microwave induction heating array-based 3D printer, comprising a base for receiving printed parts, characterized in that, A microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding printhead is disposed above the base. A microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding component is disposed around the outer periphery of the base. Each microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding printhead contains a corresponding microwave-absorbing material line. A conveying control component is disposed in the microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding printhead corresponding to the microwave-absorbing material line. The microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding printhead is an array type, and the microwave-absorbing material line is an array type. The microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding printhead and the array type microwave-absorbing material line correspond one-to-one. A microwave heating component is disposed on the outside of both the microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding component and the printhead.

2. A microwave induction heating array-based 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The microwave induction heating array 3D printer also includes an adjustable height bracket, on which the microwave reflecting and / or shielding components are integrally mounted, and the microwave reflecting and / or shielding printhead is integrally mounted, and the overall height of the microwave heating components is adjustable.

3. A microwave induction heating array-based 3D printer according to claim 2, characterized in that, The microwave induction heating array 3D printer also includes a microwave-absorbing material line detection component, and the adjustable height support is also equipped with a microwave-absorbing material line detection component for detecting the lower end position of the array microwave-absorbing material line.

4. A microwave induction heating array-based 3D printer according to claim 3, characterized in that, The microwave-absorbing material line detection component employs multiple arranged camera components.

5. A microwave induction heating array-based 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielded printhead is composed of a microwave-shielding and / or microwave-reflecting material layer, or the microwave-reflecting and / or microwave-shielding printhead is covered with a microwave-shielding and / or microwave-reflecting material layer on the outside of the printhead.

6. A microwave induction heating array-based 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The array of microwave-absorbing material lines is arranged longitudinally.

7. A microwave induction heating array-based 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The array-type microwave-absorbing material line is made by mixing microwave-absorbing materials into organic or metal printing lines.

8. A microwave induction heating array-based 3D printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transport control components are mounted three-dimensionally, located on the top of the printhead, and are in contact with the microwave-absorbing material lines. The transport control components of adjacent arrays are not on the same plane.

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