Partition temperature control printing system and method of 3D printing equipment

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of additive manufacturing, and particularly relates to a partition temperature control printing system and method of 3D printing equipment, in the material extrusion type 3D printing process, a forming space is divided into a plurality of temperature control partitions capable of being independently regulated and controlled, and printing path prediction, partition temperature feed-forward control and local airflow regulation and control are combined, so that the temperature control partitions can be independently regulated and controlled; and fine adjustment of the deposition and solidification process of the molten material is achieved. The system dynamically adjusts the environment temperature and the airflow state of the corresponding subarea according to the movement path of the printing head and the heat requirement of the area to be deposited, so that the molten material keeps good fluidity in the deposition stage, stable and uniform cooling is achieved in the solidification stage, and therefore the defects of collapse, wire drawing, infirm interlayer bonding, cracking and the like are overcome. Through the synergistic effect of temperature control and airflow regulation and control, the overall energy consumption is reduced, meanwhile, the forming quality, the size precision and the structural reliability of a printed piece are improved, and the method is suitable for 3D printing application scenes with the high requirements for stability and material performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of additive manufacturing technology, specifically relating to a zoned temperature-controlled printing system and method for 3D printing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Material extrusion-based 3D printing technologies (such as fused deposition modeling) typically involve heating filaments or strips of thermoplastic material to a molten or highly elastic state, then extruding it through a printhead and depositing it layer by layer onto a forming platform along a pre-defined path. The molten material gradually cools and solidifies after deposition, bonding with adjacent layers to form a 3D printed part. This type of printing method features relatively simple equipment structures and a wide range of applicable materials, making it widely used in industrial design, functional prototype manufacturing, and small-batch customized production.

[0003] However, in the process of material extrusion 3D printing, the cooling and solidification of the molten material are highly sensitive to ambient temperature conditions. If the forming environment temperature is too high, the molten material deposited on the forming platform will not solidify in time, easily leading to forming defects such as stringing and collapse. If the forming environment temperature is too low, the molten material will solidify rapidly after deposition, which will reduce the welding quality of the interlayer materials, resulting in insufficient interlayer bonding strength of the printed part, and even cracking and warping. Therefore, how to reasonably and stably control the temperature of the forming area during the printing process has always been an important research direction in material extrusion 3D printing technology.

[0004] To address these issues, existing technologies typically employ heating the entire printing chamber to improve the overall temperature stability of the forming environment. However, this method requires continuous heating of a large space, resulting in high energy consumption and making it difficult to finely adjust the temperature for different printing areas and stages. This is especially problematic when printing large or complex parts, where the overall heating approach struggles to balance energy consumption control with forming quality requirements.

[0005] To address the shortcomings of overall chamber heating, existing technologies have proposed 3D printing systems with zoned temperature control for the forming area. For example, Chinese invention patent CN114789554A, "3D Printing System and Control Method Based on Zoned Temperature Control," utilizes a movable chamber or partition structure with heating components in localized areas. This allows the heating area to move within space during the printing process, achieving localized heating of the forming area. This type of zoned temperature control scheme reduces energy consumption to some extent and improves the temperature stability of the local forming environment.

[0006] However, existing zone-controlled temperature printing systems typically adjust temperature based on the current position of the printhead or chamber. Their temperature control methods are mostly passive-response, failing to adequately incorporate process information such as the printing path and printing rhythm to pre-adjust the area to be printed. This results in issues such as temperature control lag and significant temperature fluctuations. Furthermore, existing zone-controlled temperature technologies primarily rely on heat conduction and radiation to regulate ambient temperature, rarely considering the impact of airflow on the cooling and solidification behavior of molten materials. This makes it difficult to provide targeted cooling or insulation control for overhanging structures, bridging structures, or small feature areas.

[0007] Therefore, existing technologies still lack a 3D printing zone temperature control system that can combine printing path information to perform forward-looking zone temperature control of the forming area, and at the same time introduce local airflow adjustment methods to finely control the solidification process of the molten extruded material, so as to further improve the printing quality and reduce system energy consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the aforementioned shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention aims to solve the problems of insufficient precision in temperature control of the forming environment, lag in temperature control response, high energy consumption, and difficulty in ensuring consistent forming quality across different structural regions during existing material extrusion 3D printing processes. The purpose of this invention is to provide a zoned temperature control printing system and method for 3D printing equipment. By introducing a printing path prediction mechanism, it performs proactive zoned temperature control of the forming area and combines this with local airflow regulation to coordinate the cooling and solidification processes of the molten extruded material. This reduces overall energy consumption while improving temperature stability and forming consistency in different regions during printing, effectively improving forming defects such as stringing, collapse, poor interlayer bonding, and cracking, and ultimately enhancing the overall forming quality and mechanical properties of the printed parts.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the invention adopts the following technical solution: a zoned temperature-controlled printing system for a 3D printing device, applied to a material extrusion 3D printing device, wherein the 3D printing device includes a material conveying system, a print head, a forming platform, and a control system, and the zoned temperature-controlled printing system further includes:

[0010] A zoned temperature control component is disposed on the outer periphery of the forming area of ​​the forming platform. The zoned temperature control component includes multiple independent temperature control sub-zones distributed along the forming area. Each temperature control sub-zone is provided with a heating component and a temperature detection component, which are used to adjust the zoned temperature of the forming area.

[0011] The printing path prediction module, connected to the control system, is used to acquire and parse the printing path information of the printing model, and predict the target area where material deposition will be carried out according to the printing process.

[0012] A partitioned temperature feedforward control module, connected to the printing path prediction module and the partitioned temperature control component, is used to adjust the temperature of the temperature control sub-region corresponding to the target region before material deposition, so that the target region is within a preset temperature range during material deposition.

[0013] A local airflow control component is disposed within or adjacent to the forming area. The local airflow control component includes multiple independently controllable airflow units for outputting controllable airflow to the corresponding material deposition area.

[0014] The temperature and airflow coupling control module is connected to the partition temperature feedforward control module and the local airflow regulation component. It is used to coordinately control the partition temperature control component and the local airflow regulation component based on the printing path prediction result and the temperature state of the forming area, so as to regulate the cooling and solidification process of the molten extruded material.

[0015] According to another embodiment of the invention or any of the foregoing embodiments, the 3D printing equipment has a zoned temperature control printing system, wherein the temperature control sub-zones are arranged along the X and / or Y directions of the forming area, and adjacent temperature control sub-zones are independent of each other and can be set at their own temperature.

[0016] According to another embodiment of the invention or any of the foregoing embodiments of the 3D printing equipment, the partition temperature control printing system is provided, wherein the printing path prediction module is used to parse the layer information, path information or printing time information in the printing instruction file, and predict the position of the target area and the corresponding printing sequence accordingly.

[0017] According to another embodiment of the invention or any of the foregoing embodiments, the partition temperature control printing system of the 3D printing equipment is provided, wherein the partition temperature feedforward control module is used to preheat or adjust the temperature of the corresponding temperature control sub-region during a preset time period before material deposition begins in the target region.

[0018] According to another embodiment of the invention or any of the foregoing embodiments, the 3D printing equipment of the partition temperature control printing system is wherein the airflow unit of the local airflow control component is capable of outputting at least one of constant temperature airflow, heating airflow or cooling airflow, and the airflow speed is adjustable.

[0019] According to another embodiment of the invention or any of the foregoing embodiments, the 3D printing equipment of the partition temperature control printing system is provided, wherein the temperature and airflow coupling control module is used to reduce the airflow intensity and maintain a higher ambient temperature in a continuously filled or large-section printing area to enhance interlayer welding.

[0020] According to another embodiment of the invention or any of the foregoing embodiments, the 3D printing equipment of the partition temperature control printing system is wherein the temperature and airflow coupling control module is used to reduce the temperature of the corresponding temperature control sub-zone and introduce directional airflow in the printing area of ​​the overhanging structure, bridging structure or small feature, so as to accelerate the solidification of the material surface.

[0021] According to another embodiment of the invention or any of the foregoing embodiments, the zonal temperature control printing system of the 3D printing equipment is wherein the zonal temperature control component and the local airflow regulation component are both uniformly coordinated and controlled by the control system.

[0022] Accordingly, a zoned temperature-controlled printing method for 3D printing equipment is disclosed, comprising the following steps:

[0023] 1) Obtain and parse the printing path information of the 3D printed model;

[0024] 2) Predict the target area for material deposition based on the printing path information;

[0025] 3) Before material deposition, the forming area corresponding to the target area is subjected to zoned temperature adjustment so that the forming area is within a preset temperature range;

[0026] 4) During the material deposition process, a controllable airflow is applied to the forming region according to the structural characteristics of the target region;

[0027] 5) By coordinating the control of zoned temperature regulation and airflow control, the cooling and solidification process of molten extruded material is regulated.

[0028] According to another embodiment of the invention or any of the foregoing embodiments, the partition temperature control printing method of the 3D printing equipment is wherein the partition temperature adjustment is performed within a preset time period before material deposition begins.

[0029] In step 4), reduce the airflow velocity and maintain the ambient temperature of the forming area in the continuous filling or large cross-section printing area.

[0030] In areas where overhanging structures, bridging structures, or small features are printed, directional airflow is introduced to accelerate material surface solidification.

[0031] The zoned temperature control and airflow regulation are adaptively adjusted according to the material parameters of different printing materials.

[0032] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0033] 1. This invention introduces a printing path prediction mechanism to regulate the temperature of the target area before material deposition, avoiding the temperature control lag problem in traditional zoned temperature control, improving the temperature stability of the forming area, and achieving forward-looking zoned temperature control. Combining zoned temperature control with local airflow regulation not only controls the ambient temperature of the forming area but also allows for precise adjustment of the solidification rate of the molten material. Through the coordinated control of the material deposition and solidification processes, it improves the quality of interlayer welding, reduces internal stress concentration, and thus enhances the overall structural stability and mechanical properties of the printed part. It effectively improves problems such as stringing, collapse, and poor interlayer bonding. The coordinated regulation of temperature and airflow improves the forming quality.

[0034] 2. This invention reduces the need for continuous heating of the entire forming chamber by heating and controlling the airflow only in the local area that is about to be printed or is being printed, thereby significantly reducing the system's energy consumption.

[0035] 3. This invention can dynamically adjust the temperature control and airflow strategy according to the printing path and structural characteristics, and is applicable to a variety of thermoplastic materials and printing structures of different complexity. It has good versatility and scalability, and can adapt to the printing needs of different structures and materials. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the partitioned temperature control printing system of the 3D printing equipment described in the invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the partitioned temperature control printing method of the 3D printing equipment described in the invention; Detailed Implementation

[0038] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 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 are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] This embodiment uses a material extrusion 3D printing device as the application object, but it does not limit the scope of protection of this invention. In this embodiment, the 3D printing device as a whole includes a material conveying system, a print head, a forming platform, and a control system. The material conveying system is used to convey printing material to the print head, the print head is used to heat and extrude the material, the forming platform is used to support the printed part formed layer by layer, and the control system is used to coordinate and control the overall printing process.

[0040] Based on the aforementioned 3D printing equipment, a zoned temperature control printing system is set up to finely adjust the environmental conditions of the forming area. This zoned temperature control printing system includes a zoned temperature control component, a printing path prediction module, a zoned temperature feedforward control module, a local airflow regulation component, and a temperature and airflow coupling control module.

[0041] The zoned temperature control component is arranged around the forming area of ​​the forming platform, creating a controllable ambient temperature field around the forming area. This component consists of multiple independent temperature-controlled sub-zones, arranged along the X and / or Y directions of the forming area. Each sub-zone contains a heating element and a temperature detection element. The heating element heats or maintains the corresponding area, while the temperature detection element collects real-time ambient temperature information for that area. The different temperature-controlled sub-zones are structurally and controllably independent, allowing different spatial locations within the forming area to maintain different temperature states.

[0042] The print path prediction module is connected to the control system and runs before or during printing. This module parses the print instruction file corresponding to the print model, extracting layer information, path information, and print time information. Combined with the current printing progress, it predicts the target area where material will be deposited. In this way, the spatial location and corresponding printing sequence of the print head in the subsequent time can be determined in advance.

[0043] The zoned temperature feedforward control module is connected to both the print path prediction module and the zoned temperature control component. During actual operation, based on the prediction results output by the print path prediction module, the zoned temperature feedforward control module preheats or adjusts the temperature of the corresponding temperature-controlled sub-zone within a preset time period before material deposition begins in the target area. This ensures that the area is within a suitable ambient temperature range during material deposition, thereby avoiding adverse effects on forming quality caused by temperature control lag.

[0044] A local airflow control component is positioned within or adjacent to the forming area to apply controllable airflow to a local space during the printing process. This component includes multiple airflow units, each capable of independent operation and outputting airflow to its corresponding material deposition area. The airflow output by each unit can be one or more of a constant-temperature airflow, a heating airflow, or a cooling airflow, and the airflow velocity can be adjusted according to control commands.

[0045] The temperature and airflow coupling control module is connected to the zoned temperature feedforward control module and the local airflow regulation component to coordinate the control of the zoned temperature control component and the local airflow regulation component. During the printing process, this coupling control module comprehensively considers the printing path prediction results, the real-time temperature status of the temperature-controlled sub-region, and the characteristics of the printed structure to dynamically adjust the heating strategy and airflow strategy. For example, during the printing of continuously filled areas or large cross-section structures, by reducing the airflow intensity and maintaining a higher ambient temperature, the molten material solidifies under slower cooling conditions, thereby enhancing the interlayer welding effect. During the printing of overhanging structures, bridging structures, or small feature areas, by reducing the ambient temperature of the corresponding temperature-controlled sub-region and introducing directional airflow into the deposition area, the solidification speed of the material surface is accelerated to reduce collapse and stringing.

[0046] Throughout the printing process, both the zone temperature control component and the local airflow regulation component operate under the unified coordination of the control system. Real-time temperature information collected by the temperature detection component is fed back to the control system and the temperature and airflow coupling control module to correct subsequent heating and airflow control strategies, thereby forming a stable closed-loop control.

[0047] Working principle of the invention:

[0048] This invention addresses the problems of insufficient precision in ambient temperature control, lag in temperature control response, high energy consumption, and difficulty in ensuring consistent forming quality across different structural regions in existing material extrusion 3D printing processes. During material extrusion 3D printing, this invention proactively controls the temperature of the forming area in zones by analyzing and predicting the printing path information. Combined with local airflow regulation, it coordinates the cooling and solidification processes of the molten extruded material, thereby reducing overall system energy consumption while ensuring printing quality. Specifically, before or during printing, the control system first analyzes the printing instruction file corresponding to the 3D model, extracting information such as the printing path, printing sequence, and printing time for each layer. Based on this, it predicts the target area where the print head will deposit material in the next time period. Based on this prediction, the zoned temperature feedforward control module preheats or adjusts the temperature of the temperature-controlled sub-zone corresponding to the target area before the molten material is extruded and deposited. This ensures that the area is within a suitable ambient temperature range during material deposition, thus avoiding temperature fluctuations caused by lag in temperature control response.

[0049] Meanwhile, the forming area is divided into multiple independent temperature-controlled sub-zones. Each sub-zone achieves closed-loop control through independently configured heating and temperature detection components, allowing different areas to maintain different temperature states according to actual printing needs without requiring overall heating of the entire forming chamber. During material extrusion and layer-by-layer deposition, a local airflow control component works synchronously under the coordination of the temperature and airflow coupling control module. This component outputs airflow with preset flow rates and temperatures to the current deposition area through multiple independently controllable airflow units, thereby regulating the cooling rate of the molten material after deposition.

[0050] For continuously filled areas or large cross-section structures, the system maintains a high ambient temperature in the respective zones and limits the airflow intensity, allowing the molten material to solidify under slower cooling conditions. This enhances the welding effect between adjacent layers and improves the overall structural strength of the printed part. For overhanging structures, bridging structures, or small feature areas, the system lowers the ambient temperature of the corresponding temperature-controlled sub-zones and introduces directional airflow into the deposition area to accelerate the initial solidification rate of the material surface and reduce forming defects such as material sagging, collapse, or stringing. Throughout the printing process, the control system continuously acquires temperature feedback information from each temperature-controlled sub-zone and, combined with printing path prediction results and real-time printing progress, dynamically coordinates and adjusts the zoned temperature control components and local airflow regulation components to ensure that temperature control and airflow regulation are always matched to the printing process requirements.

[0051] Based on the above working principle, this invention achieves precise control over the deposition and solidification behavior of molten material during the material extrusion 3D printing process. While ensuring the forming quality and interlayer bonding performance, it significantly reduces the dependence on the overall high-temperature forming environment, thus achieving the dual goals of improving printing quality and reducing energy consumption.

[0052] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical concept and characteristics of the present invention, intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand and implement the invention, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A partitioned temperature control printing system of a 3D printing device, applied to a material extrusion type 3D printing device, the 3D printing device comprising a material conveying system, a printing head, a forming platform and a control system, characterized in that: The partition temperature control printing system further comprises: A partition temperature control assembly arranged at the periphery of the forming area of the forming platform, the partition temperature control assembly comprising a plurality of independently temperature-controlled sub-zones distributed along the forming area, each temperature-controlled sub-zone being provided with a heating component and a temperature detection component for partition temperature adjustment of the forming area; A printing path prediction module connected with the control system, configured to acquire and analyze the printing path information of the printing model, and predict the target region where material deposition is about to be performed according to the printing process; A partition temperature feedforward control module connected with the printing path prediction module and the partition temperature control assembly, configured to adjust the temperature of the temperature-controlled sub-zone corresponding to the target region before material deposition, so that the target region is within a preset temperature range during material deposition; A local airflow regulation assembly arranged in the forming area or adjacent to the forming area, the local airflow regulation assembly comprising a plurality of independently controllable airflow units for outputting controllable airflow to the corresponding material deposition area; A temperature and airflow coupled control module connected with the partition temperature feedforward control module and the local airflow regulation assembly, configured to cooperatively control the partition temperature control assembly and the local airflow regulation assembly according to the printing path prediction result and the temperature state of the forming area, so as to adjust the cooling and solidification process of the molten extrusion material. 2.The partitioned temperature control printing system of a 3D printing device according to claim 1, wherein: The temperature-controlled sub-zones are arranged along the X direction and / or the Y direction of the forming area, and adjacent temperature-controlled sub-zones are independent of each other and can be set to different temperatures. 3.The partitioned temperature control printing system of a 3D printing device according to claim 1, wherein: The printing path prediction module is configured to analyze layer information, path information or printing time information in a printing instruction file, and predict the position of the target region and the corresponding printing timing. 4.The partitioned temperature control printing system of a 3D printing device according to claim 1, wherein: The partition temperature feedforward control module is configured to preheat or adjust the temperature of the corresponding temperature-controlled sub-zone within a preset time period before the target region starts material deposition. 5.The partitioned temperature control printing system of a 3D printing device according to claim 1, wherein: The airflow units of the local airflow regulation assembly can output at least one of constant-temperature airflow, heated airflow or cooled airflow, and the airflow flow rate is adjustable. 6.The partitioned temperature control printing system of a 3D printing device according to claim 1, wherein: The temperature and airflow coupled control module is configured to reduce the airflow intensity and maintain a higher ambient temperature in a continuous filling or large cross-section printing area, so as to enhance the interlayer fusion. 7.The partitioned temperature control printing system of a 3D printing device according to claim 1, wherein: The temperature and airflow coupled control module is configured to reduce the temperature of the corresponding temperature-controlled sub-zone and introduce directional airflow in a cantilever structure, a bridging structure or a small feature printing area, so as to accelerate the solidification of the material surface. 8.The partitioned temperature control printing system of a 3D printing device according to claim 1, wherein: The partition temperature control assembly and the local airflow regulation assembly are uniformly coordinated and controlled by the control system.

9. A partitioned temperature control printing method of a 3D printing device, characterized in that: The method comprises the following steps: S1. Acquiring and analyzing the printing path information of a 3D printing model; S2. Predicting the target region where material deposition is about to be performed according to the printing path information; S3. Adjusting the temperature of the forming area corresponding to the target region before material deposition, so that the forming area is within a preset temperature range; S4. During the material deposition process, applying controllable airflow to the forming area according to the structural characteristics of the target region; S5. Cooperatively controlling the partition temperature adjustment and the airflow regulation to adjust the cooling and solidification process of the molten extrusion material. 10.The partitioned temperature control printing method of a 3D printing device according to claim 1, wherein: The partition temperature regulation is performed within a preset time period before the material deposition starts; In step S4, in the continuous filling or large cross-section printing area, the airflow flow rate is reduced and the ambient temperature of the forming area is maintained; In the overhanging structure, bridge structure or fine feature printing area, directional airflow is introduced to accelerate the solidification of the material surface; The partition temperature regulation and airflow regulation are adaptively adjusted according to the material parameters of different printing materials.

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