3D printing apparatus for plastic articles

Abstract

The application discloses a 3D printing device for plastic products, and belongs to the field of additive manufacturing technology.The device comprises a three-axis motion system, a printing assembly, a driving system, a multi-material feeding system and a control unit.The printing assembly is connected to the three-axis motion system and comprises a rotating disc and a plurality of printing nozzles connected to the rotating disc.The driving system comprises a first driving unit for driving the three-axis motion system and a second driving unit for driving the rotating disc.The multi-material feeding system is connected to each printing nozzle respectively and independently feeds different types of printing materials.The control unit controls the second driving unit to drive the rotating disc to rotate according to a printing instruction, switches the printing nozzle loaded with target material to a working position, and simultaneously controls the multi-material feeding system to feed corresponding materials to the printing nozzle switched to the working position.The application can realize quick switching of multi-material nozzles without suspending printing, avoids material cross contamination, and improves the continuity of multi-material integrated forming and printing quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of additive manufacturing technology, and more particularly to a 3D printing device for plastic products. Background Technology

[0002] Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is one of the most widely used technologies in 3D printing of plastic products. Its basic working principle is as follows: thermoplastic filament is heated to a molten state and then extruded layer by layer through a printing nozzle along a preset path to form a three-dimensional solid. Due to its relatively low equipment cost, wide variety of materials, and ease of operation and maintenance, this technology has been widely used in prototype verification, personalized customization, and small-batch production.

[0003] Existing FDM equipment is mainly classified into Cartesian coordinate type (XYZ type) and parallel arm type (Delta type) based on different motion structures. Among them, XYZ type equipment usually adopts a gantry structure, with the print head mounted on the X / Y motion mechanism and moving in the horizontal plane, while the printing platform rises and falls along the Z-axis. This structure is relatively mature, with simple control algorithms, and is the mainstream solution in the current market.

[0004] However, existing XYZ type 3D printing equipment still has the following shortcomings in practical applications: Firstly, the limited number of printheads makes it difficult to meet the demands of integrated multi-material molding. As application scenarios expand, single-material components are no longer sufficient for complex working conditions. For example, components combining rigid frames and flexible sealing structures, as well as functional components with embedded conductive circuitry, all require the coordinated printing of multiple materials within the same component. Existing single-printhead equipment cannot simultaneously load different materials. Switching materials necessitates pausing printing, rewinding the filament, changing the material, and reloading the filament, which is not only time-consuming but also prone to cross-contamination and waste during transition periods, severely hindering printing efficiency and quality.

[0005] Secondly, even if some devices are equipped with dual printheads, they are mostly installed independently, making it impossible to achieve flexible switching and coordinated movement of multiple printheads. Dual printhead devices typically fix two printheads side by side on the same moving part. When one printhead is working, the other is suspended and waiting, which can easily cause scratches or interference to the printed area. At the same time, the relatively fixed positions of the two printheads make it difficult to adjust their relative posture and working radius according to printing needs, limiting the forming capability of complex structures (especially suspended, inverted, and other features).

[0006] Third, the printhead movement of existing equipment is limited and poorly adaptable to complex spatial structures. In traditional XYZ type equipment, the printhead extrusion direction is always vertically downward, and the printing platform remains horizontal. For structures such as overhangs, lateral openings, and inverted structures, a large amount of additional support material must be added. This support material not only causes waste but also easily damages the workpiece surface when removed after printing. Especially for delicate structures such as internal cavities, thin pillars, and thin walls, support residue often directly leads to product malfunction.

[0007] In view of this, how to achieve efficient switching and collaborative printing of multiple materials while ensuring printing efficiency, and how to improve the adaptability of the print head to complex structures, have become technical problems that urgently need to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a 3D printing device for plastic products to solve the above-mentioned technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: a 3D printing device for plastic products, comprising: a three-axis motion system mounted on a printing table of the device body; a printing assembly connected to the three-axis motion system, including a rotating disk and multiple printing nozzles connected to the rotating disk; a drive system including a first drive unit for driving the three-axis motion system and a second drive unit for driving the rotating disk; a multi-material feeding system connected to each of the printing nozzles for independently feeding different types of printing materials; and a control unit electrically connected to the drive system and the multi-material feeding system, controlling the second drive unit to drive the rotating disk to rotate according to printing instructions, switching the printing nozzle loaded with target material to a working position, and simultaneously controlling the multi-material feeding system to feed the corresponding material to the printing nozzle switched to the working position.

[0010] Optionally, the rotating disk has multiple radial grooves, each radial groove extending radially along the rotating disk; a printhead slider is slidably installed in each radial groove, and a printhead is fixedly installed on each printhead slider.

[0011] Optionally, the plurality of radial grooves are evenly distributed in the circumference of the rotating disk, and the axes of the plurality of printing nozzles are parallel to the rotation axis of the rotating disk and are evenly distributed in the circumference.

[0012] Optionally, the second drive unit is a fourth motor, which is fixedly mounted on the third slide of the three-axis motion system, and the fourth motor is fixedly connected to the center of the rotating disk through a rotating shaft.

[0013] Optionally, the multi-material feeding system includes a main feeding pipe, a distributor, and multiple feeding branch pipes; the distributor is installed at the bottom of the third slide, its input end is connected to the main feeding pipe, and its multiple output ends are respectively connected to the feed inlet of a print head through one of the feeding branch pipes.

[0014] Optionally, the distributor is a valve assembly with multiple controllable output channels, and the control unit is electrically connected to the distributor. The control unit controls the switching of printing materials by controlling the opening and closing of the valves inside the distributor.

[0015] Optionally, the three-axis motion system includes an X-axis track, a Y-axis track, and a Z-axis track; the X-axis track is fixed to the top of the device body, and a first slide is slidably mounted on the X-axis track; the Y-axis track is fixed to the first slide, and a second slide is slidably mounted on the Y-axis track; the Z-axis track is vertically mounted on the second slide, and a third slide is slidably connected to the Z-axis track, with the printing component mounted on the third slide.

[0016] Optionally, the plurality of printheads include at least one hard material printhead for printing hard materials and at least one soft material printhead for printing soft materials.

[0017] Optionally, the control unit is configured to: synchronously control the second drive unit to drive the rotating disk to rotate the print head loaded with the target material to the working position when switching materials, and control the multi-material feeding system to switch to the corresponding feeding channel, and the three-axis motion system maintains continuous motion throughout the switching process.

[0018] Optionally, the control unit is further configured to: when printing a structure with suspended or inverted features, control the second drive unit to drive the rotating disk to rotate by a specific angle for non-switching purposes, so that the print head in the working position extrudes material in an inclined posture.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention discloses at least the following beneficial effects: The 3D printing equipment for plastic products provided by this invention features a rotating disk connected to multiple independently fed printheads. A control unit drives a second drive unit to rotate the disk according to printing commands, rapidly switching the printhead loaded with the target material to its working position. Simultaneously, a multi-material feeding system synchronously delivers the corresponding material, achieving seamless switching between printheads of different materials. This structure allows material switching without pausing printing, avoiding the filament removal and cleaning operations required for traditional single-head material changes, fundamentally eliminating cross-contamination and waste during transition periods. Furthermore, the integration of multiple printheads onto the same rotating disk and unified coordination by the control unit ensures both continuity and high response speed during switching, while maintaining continuous movement of the three-axis motion system without interrupting the printing path. This significantly improves the efficiency and quality of multi-material integrated molding and effectively reduces process complexity and material waste caused by switching. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 The isometric projection of the 3D printing equipment for plastic products proposed in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 2 The isometric projection of the 3D printing equipment for plastic products proposed in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 ; Figure 3 This is a front view of the 3D printing equipment for plastic products proposed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a right view of the 3D printing equipment for plastic products proposed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a front view of the printing component in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a right view of the printing component in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is an isometric view of the printing component in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Equipment body; 2. Printing table; 3. X-axis track; 4. First slide; 5. Y-axis track; 6. Second slide; 7. Z-axis track; 8. Third slide; 9. Rotary disk; 10. Control unit; 11. First motor; 12. Second motor; 13. Third motor; 14. Fourth motor; 15. Printing nozzle; 16. Nozzle slider; 17. Radial groove; 18. Feeding branch pipe; 19. Distributor; 20. Support; 21. Main feeding pipe; 22. Rotating shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0023] 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.

[0024] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0025] Reference Figures 1 to 7 As shown, this embodiment provides a 3D printing device for plastic products. The device includes a device body 1, a printing table 2, a three-axis motion system, a printing component, a multi-material feeding system, a drive system, and a control unit 10.

[0026] Specifically, the device body 1 serves as the overall support frame, used to support and install other functional components. A three-axis motion system is mounted on the device body 1 to achieve three-dimensional relative motion between the print head 15 and the print stage 2. The print stage 2 is positioned on the Z-axis track 7 of the three-axis motion system to support and position the plastic product being printed. The printing assembly is mounted on the X-axis and Y-axis tracks 5 of the three-axis motion system to perform melt extrusion molding of the material. A multi-material feeding system is connected to the printing assembly to deliver different types of printing materials to the print head 15. The drive system is connected to both the three-axis motion system and the printing assembly, providing power to each moving component. The control unit 10 is electrically connected to both the drive system and the multi-material feeding system to coordinate and control the motion trajectory and material switching throughout the printing process.

[0027] In this embodiment, the three-axis motion system includes an X-axis track 3, a Y-axis track 5, and a Z-axis track 7. The X-axis track 3 is fixedly installed on the top crossbeam of the device body 1 and extends along a first horizontal direction. A first slide block 4 is slidably installed on the X-axis track 3 and reciprocates along the X-axis track 3 under the drive of a first motor 11. The Y-axis track 5 is fixedly installed on the first slide block 4 and moves synchronously with the first slide block 4. The Y-axis track 5 extends along a second horizontal direction, which is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. A second slide block 6 is slidably installed on the Y-axis track 5 and reciprocates along the Y-axis track 5 under the drive of a second motor 12. The Z-axis track 7 is vertically installed on the side of the device body 1 and extends along a vertical direction. A third slide block 8 is slidably disposed on the Z-axis track 7, and the printing table 2 is fixed on the third slide block 8. The third motor 13 drives the third slide block 8 and the printing table 2 to move up and down along the Z-axis track 7 through a lead screw transmission mechanism.

[0028] The working principle of the above-mentioned three-axis motion system is as follows: the coordinated movement of the X-axis track 3 and the Y-axis track 5 enables precise positioning of the printing component in the horizontal plane; simultaneously, the Z-axis track 7 drives the printing stage 2 to rise and fall, completing interlayer movement. The three work together to precisely control the relative position of the print head 15 and the printing stage 2 in three-dimensional space, providing a foundation for scanning and forming complex paths.

[0029] Reference Figures 5 to 7 As shown, the printing assembly includes a bracket 20, a fourth motor 14, a rotating shaft 22, and a rotating disk 9. The fourth motor 14 is fixedly mounted on the third slide 8 and moves synchronously with the third slide 8 in the vertical direction. The bracket 20 is fixed to one side of the third slide 8 and is used to support and fix components such as the feed main pipe 21, thereby ensuring the stability of the feeding path. The output end of the fourth motor 14 is connected to one end of the rotating shaft 22 via a coupling. The rotating shaft 22 is rotatably mounted on the third slide 8 via bearings and is fixedly connected to the center of the rotating disk 9. The fourth motor 14 drives the rotating shaft 22 to rotate, thereby causing the rotating disk 9 to rotate around its own axis.

[0030] In the aforementioned printing assembly, the fourth motor 14 is integrated onto the third slide 8, which ensures the stability of the rotating drive of the turntable 9 and optimizes the utilization of the equipment space. The fourth motor 14 drives the turntable 9 to rotate, which can quickly switch different printheads 15 to the working position and achieve seamless alternation between multiple printheads.

[0031] Based on the above embodiment, the rotating disk 9 is provided with a plurality of radial grooves 17, each radial groove 17 extending radially along the rotating disk 9, and the plurality of radial grooves 17 are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the rotating disk 9. A printhead slider 16 is slidably installed in each radial groove 17, and a printhead 15 is fixedly installed on each printhead slider 16. The axis of the printhead 15 is arranged parallel to the rotation axis 22 of the rotating disk 9.

[0032] By adjusting the sliding position of the nozzle slider 16 in the radial groove 17, the radial distance of each printing nozzle 15 relative to the rotation axis 22 of the rotating disk 9 can be precisely changed. This allows the equipment to flexibly adapt to printing tasks of different sizes. For example, when printing large workpieces, the nozzle rotation radius can be increased, or the nozzle spacing can be reduced when multiple nozzles need to work together to print the same area, significantly improving the equipment's process adaptability.

[0033] Building upon the above embodiments, the axes of the multiple printheads 15 are further arranged parallel to the rotation axis 22 of the rotating disk 9 and are evenly distributed circumferentially. This even distribution design facilitates position calibration and kinematic calculation by the control unit 10, simplifies the path planning algorithm when multiple printheads work together, and improves system response speed and printing accuracy.

[0034] In one specific embodiment, the multiple printheads 15 can be configured with different types of printheads according to actual printing needs. For example, they can include at least one hard material printhead for printing rigid materials such as PLA and ABS, and at least one soft material printhead for printing soft materials such as TPU. By integrating multiple material printheads on the same rotating disk 9, the rigid skeleton and the soft sealing structure can be integrally formed in the same part, eliminating the need for manual intervention during the printing process and greatly expanding the application range of the equipment.

[0035] In this embodiment, the multi-material feeding system includes a main feeding pipe 21, a distributor 19, and multiple feeding branch pipes 18. The distributor 19 is mounted on a bracket 20, and its input end is connected to the main feeding pipe 21. The main feeding pipe 21 can be further connected to multiple external material cylinders or a multi-channel material cylinder. The distributor 19 has multiple controllable output channels, and each output channel is connected to the feed port of a printhead 15 through a feeding branch pipe 18.

[0036] The feeding system operates as follows: the control unit 10 controls the opening and closing of the valve inside the distributor 19 according to preset printing instructions, selectively delivering the required material to the corresponding print head 15. When material switching is required, the control unit 10 controls the distributor 19 to cut off the current material's delivery channel while simultaneously opening the target material's delivery channel. Combined with the rotation of the rotating disk 9, this achieves coordinated "print head switching equals material switching." The entire switching process requires no printing pause, nor does it require filament removal or cleaning, fundamentally avoiding cross-contamination and waste generation during transition periods, significantly improving the efficiency and quality of multi-material printing.

[0037] Below, based on the above structure, a typical working mode of the 3D printing equipment for plastic products provided in this embodiment will be described in detail.

[0038] Before printing begins, the operator loads different materials into multiple printheads 15 according to the requirements of the model to be printed (for example, loading rigid PLA material into the first printhead and flexible TPU material into the second printhead). The control unit 10 analyzes the slice data of the 3D model to be printed and identifies the material type and spatial trajectory required for different areas.

[0039] When a rigid structure needs to be printed, the control unit 10 controls the fourth motor 14 to drive the rotating disk 9 to rotate, so that the print head 15 loaded with PLA material rotates precisely to the working position (e.g., directly facing the lowest point of the printing table 2). At the same time, the control unit 10 controls the feeder 19 to open the feed branch pipe 18 corresponding to the print head and cut off other branches. The first motor 11, the second motor 12, and the third motor 13 move in coordination according to a preset path, and the print head 15 begins to extrude PLA material, printing the rigid skeleton part of the part.

[0040] When the printing task reaches an area requiring switching to a soft material (such as printing flexible hinges or sealing rings), the control unit 10 does not need to pause the movement of the XYZ axes. Instead, at a movement gap or path transition point, it immediately controls the fourth motor 14 to rapidly rotate by a preset angle (e.g., 60 or 120 degrees, depending on the number of printheads), switching the printhead 15 loaded with TPU material to the working position. Simultaneously, the feeder 19 synchronously switches the material channel, delivering TPU material to the newly positioned working printhead. After the switching is complete, the printhead immediately resumes the printing task and begins extruding the TPU material.

[0041] The entire switching process is completed within milliseconds, and the printing action is continuous and uninterrupted. Since each printhead has an independent feed branch 18, and the material is separated at the distributor 19, there is virtually no cross-contamination between different materials during switching, and there is no need to discharge waste material from the transition section as with single-printhead material changes. Furthermore, when printing structures with suspended or inverted features, the control unit 10 can also drive the rotating disk 9 to rotate at a specific angle (not for switching), causing the printhead 15 to tilt and extrude material, thereby completing the molding process without the addition of supports.

[0042] In summary, the 3D printing equipment for plastic products provided in this embodiment uses a rotating disk 9 to carry multiple printing nozzles 15 and cooperates with a feeder 19 to achieve multi-channel independent feeding. While maintaining the structural simplicity of the traditional three-axis motion system, it effectively solves the problems of low multi-material printing efficiency, difficult switching, and poor adaptability to complex structure molding in the prior art. It has the advantages of compact structure, high switching efficiency, high material utilization, and good molding quality.

[0043] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this invention, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0044] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A 3D printing device for plastic products, characterized in that, include: A three-axis motion system is installed on the printing table (2) of the main body of the equipment (1); The printing assembly, connected to the three-axis motion system, includes a rotating disk (9) and a plurality of printing nozzles (15) connected to the rotating disk (9). The drive system includes a first drive unit for driving the three-axis motion system and a second drive unit for driving the rotating disk (9); A multi-material feeding system is connected to each of the aforementioned printheads (15) to independently feed different types of printing materials; The control unit (10) is electrically connected to the drive system and the multi-material feeding system. According to the printing command, it controls the second drive unit to drive the rotating disk (9) to rotate, and switches the printing nozzle (15) loaded with target material to the working position. At the same time, it controls the multi-material feeding system to deliver the corresponding material to the printing nozzle (15) that has been switched to the working position.

2. The 3D printing equipment for plastic products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating disk (9) is provided with a plurality of radial grooves (17), each radial groove (17) extending radially along the rotating disk (9); a printhead slider (16) is slidably installed in each radial groove (17), and a printhead (15) is fixedly installed on each printhead slider (16).

3. The 3D printing equipment for plastic products according to claim 2, characterized in that, The radial grooves (17) are evenly distributed around the circumference of the rotating disk (9), and the axes of the multiple printing nozzles (15) are parallel to the rotation axis (22) of the rotating disk (9) and are evenly distributed around the circumference.

4. The 3D printing equipment for plastic products according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that, The second drive unit is a fourth motor (14), which is fixedly installed on the third slide (8) of the three-axis motion system. The fourth motor (14) is fixedly connected to the center of the rotating disk (9) through the rotating shaft (22).

5. The 3D printing equipment for plastic products according to claim 4, characterized in that, The multi-material feeding system includes a main feeding pipe (21), a distributor (19), and multiple feeding branch pipes (18); the distributor (19) is installed at the bottom of the third slide (8), its input end is connected to the main feeding pipe (21), and its multiple output ends are respectively connected to the feed inlet of a printer nozzle (15) through a feeding branch pipe (18).

6. The 3D printing equipment for plastic products according to claim 5, characterized in that, The distributor (19) is a valve assembly with multiple controllable output channels. The control unit (10) is electrically connected to the distributor (19). The control unit (10) controls the opening and closing of the valves inside the distributor (19) to switch the printing material.

7. The 3D printing equipment for plastic products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The three-axis motion system includes an X-axis track (3), a Y-axis track (5), and a Z-axis track (7); the X-axis track (3) is fixed to the top of the device body (1), and the first slide (4) is slidably mounted on the X-axis track (3); the Y-axis track (5) is fixed to the first slide (4), and the second slide (6) is slidably mounted on the Y-axis track (5); the Z-axis track (7) is vertically mounted on the second slide (6), and the third slide (8) is slidably connected to the Z-axis track (7), and the printing component is mounted on the third slide (8).

8. The 3D printing equipment for plastic products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of printheads (15) include at least one hard material printhead for printing hard materials and at least one soft material printhead for printing soft materials.

9. The 3D printing equipment for plastic products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit (10) is configured to: when switching materials, synchronously control the second drive unit to drive the rotating disk (9) to rotate the printing nozzle (15) loaded with the target material to the working position, and control the multi-material feeding system to switch to the corresponding feeding channel, and the three-axis motion system maintains continuous motion throughout the switching process.

10. The 3D printing equipment for plastic products according to claim 1 or 9, characterized in that, The control unit (10) is also configured to: when printing a structure with suspended or inverted features, control the second drive unit to drive the rotating disk (9) to rotate by a specific angle for non-switching, so that the printing nozzle (15) in the working position extrudes material in an inclined posture.

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