A novel apparatus for an extrusion consumable production line for 3D printing filaments

Abstract

The application discloses a novel one-out-two device for single-side operation of an extrusion material production line for 3D printing filaments, and belongs to the technical field of 3D printing material production equipment. The device comprises a device main machine bed support, the upper surface of the bed support is fixedly connected with a drying hopper, the output end of the drying hopper is fixedly connected with a single-screw extruder, the left side of the single-screw extruder is provided with a water tank support one, the upper surface of the water tank support one is fixedly connected with a hot water tank, the left side of the water tank support one is provided with a water tank support two, and the upper surface of the water tank support two is fixedly connected with a cold water tank. The device adopts a novel one-out-two double-line forming and single-side centralized operation structure, compared with traditional double-out-line production equipment and the double-out-line two-side operation equipment of peers, can realize synchronous extrusion, synchronous processing and double-disc synchronous independent winding of two 3D printing filaments in one direction, directly doubles the processing efficiency, reduces the cost, reduces the energy consumption and the like, and can effectively meet the production demands of large scale and large batch in the industry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to 3D printing consumable production equipment technology, and more particularly to a novel equipment for an extrusion consumable production line for 3D printing filaments. Background Technology

[0002] 3D printing filament is the core consumable of fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing technology. Its dimensional accuracy, surface smoothness, and filament tightness directly determine the quality and forming effect of the 3D printed product. With the widespread adoption and in-depth application of 3D printing technology in various fields such as civilian manufacturing, industrial production, and cultural and creative design, the market has placed higher standards and more stringent requirements on the production efficiency, forming accuracy, and yield of 3D printing filament.

[0003] Currently, most traditional 3D printing filament extrusion and winding production equipment on the market adopts a structure layout with dual output lines and decentralized operation on both sides. Although dual output line configuration can be achieved, the equipment operation stations are scattered, requiring manual operation on both sides. Moreover, most equipment can only stably complete the extrusion and winding of a single filament at a time. The process is cumbersome, the labor cost is high, the equipment coordination efficiency is low, and the overall production efficiency is limited, making it difficult to meet the current demand for large-scale, high-volume, and high-efficiency production of 3D printing filament.

[0004] Meanwhile, traditional equipment has a simple thread routing structure and lacks a dedicated tension buffer structure. During winding and rewinding, the thread is prone to sudden tension changes, leading to problems such as thread breakage, uneven tension, and deformation, significantly reducing product yield. In the thread shaping process, traditional equipment suffers from unreasonable hot and cold tank arrangements, insufficient preheating and softening, and unstable cooling and shaping speeds, resulting in residual internal stress in the thread. This makes it prone to bending and shrinkage deformation during later storage and printing.

[0005] Furthermore, the water tank support structure of traditional equipment has poor stability, and the vibrations generated during equipment operation are directly transmitted to the processed filament, causing diameter deviations and surface irregularities. Moreover, traditional equipment has poor adaptability for dual-filament processing, failing to achieve simultaneous detection, simultaneous winding, and independent metering of both filaments. When producing multiple filaments, precision control is difficult, the operation process is cumbersome, the overall equipment layout is bulky, the operating interface is fragmented, manual operation costs are high, and production stability is poor. It is difficult to meet the demands of high-precision, high-efficiency, and continuous 3D printing filament production. Therefore, there is an urgent need to optimize the equipment structure and develop a 3D printing filament extrusion and winding production equipment that enables simultaneous dual-filament processing, high precision, strong stability, and convenient operation. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Purpose of the invention: The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems of traditional 3D printing filament production equipment, such as single-thread output, low production efficiency, scattered equipment layout, cumbersome operation, large-scale labor requirements, and large investment in equipment purchase in bulk. Another purpose of this invention is to solve the problems of unstable filament processing tension, easy breakage, poor cold and heat setting effect, low filament precision, and equipment vibration affecting processing quality in traditional equipment.

[0007] Technical Solution: A novel piece of equipment for a 3D printing filament extrusion production line, comprising a main machine bed support, a drying hopper fixedly connected to the upper surface of the main machine bed support, a single-screw extruder fixedly connected to the output end of the drying hopper, a water tank support one on the left side of the single-screw extruder, a hot water tank fixedly connected to the upper surface of the water tank support one, a water tank support two on the left side of the water tank support one, a cold water tank fixedly connected to the upper surface of the water tank support two, a traction machine frame one on the left side of the water tank support two, and a double-layer filament storage rack fixedly connected between the traction machine frame one and the main machine bed support.

[0008] Furthermore, a diameter measuring instrument is fixedly connected inside the traction machine frame one, and a dryer is installed between the traction machine frame one and the water tank support two.

[0009] Furthermore, an online chiller is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the cold water tank.

[0010] Furthermore, a support frame 2 is provided on the left side of the traction machine frame 1, and two co-directional dual-station winding machines are fixedly connected to the upper surface of the traction machine frame 1. Each end of the co-directional dual-station winding machine is fixedly connected to a meter counter.

[0011] Furthermore, the double-layer wire storage rack adopts a staggered double-layer wire routing structure. The two ends of the double-layer wire storage rack are fixedly connected to the main machine bed support and the traction machine frame by bolts, which can buffer the tension of the 3D printing filament during the conveying process and prevent the filament from being pulled and broken during winding and rewinding.

[0012] Furthermore, the hot water tank and the cold water tank are arranged horizontally in sequence along the 3D printing filament conveying direction, and the length of the hot water tank is greater than the length of the cold water tank, so as to realize a continuous processing flow in which the 3D printing filament is first fully preheated and softened, and then rapidly cooled and shaped.

[0013] Furthermore, both the first and second water tank supports adopt an integrated steel frame structure, and the bottoms of both the first and second water tank supports are fitted and fixed to the upper surface of the main machine bed support, ensuring the structural stability of the water tank during operation and reducing the impact of equipment vibration on the accuracy of wire processing.

[0014] Beneficial Effects: This equipment adopts a unique one-outlet, two-line forming, single-sided centralized operation structure. Compared with traditional dual-outlet production equipment, it can simultaneously extrude, process, and independently wind two 3D printing filaments, directly doubling the processing efficiency and effectively meeting the industry's needs for large-scale, high-volume production. Simultaneously, it abandons the traditional layout of distributed operation on both sides, centralizing two sets of co-directional dual-station winding machines and meter counters on a single-side operating interface. This significantly simplifies the overall equipment structure, reduces the space occupied, simplifies manual operation and equipment maintenance processes, and lowers the probability of human error and production maintenance costs. With dual independent meter counters, the production length of each filament can be accurately measured individually. Combined with a dual-line synchronous diameter measurement and detection structure, it achieves high-precision quality control of dual-line synchronous production, completely solving the problems of uneven accuracy and difficult management in traditional multi-line production, and significantly improving the level of production standardization. By utilizing hot and cold water tanks of varying lengths, the process achieves thorough preheating and softening of the filament to eliminate internal stress, followed by rapid cooling and shaping. This effectively improves the flatness of the filament forming and avoids deformation defects later on. Simultaneously, the integrated steel frame support is closely fixed to the main machine bed support, significantly reducing the impact of equipment vibration on processing accuracy. Combined with a dryer, it thoroughly removes surface moisture from the filament, eliminating issues such as coiling adhesion and wrinkling, thus comprehensively improving the finished product quality and yield of 3D printed filaments. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a top view of the present invention.

[0016] In the diagram: 1. Drying hopper; 2. Single screw extruder; 3. Water tank support one; 4. Hot water tank; 5. Water tank support two; 6. Cold water tank; 7. Traction machine frame one; 8. Double-layer wire storage rack; 9. Diameter gauge; 10. Dryer; 11. Online refrigeration unit; 12. Co-directional dual-station winding machine; 13. Meter counter; 14. Main machine bed support; 15. Support frame two. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To make the technical solution of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0018] Example

[0019] like Figure 1-2As shown, a novel piece of equipment for a 3D printing filament extrusion production line is provided, including a main machine bed support 14. A drying hopper 1 is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the main machine bed support 14. A single-screw extruder 2 is fixedly connected to the output end of the drying hopper 1. A water tank support 1 3 is arranged on the left side of the single-screw extruder 2. A hot water tank 4 is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the water tank support 1 3. A second water tank support 5 is arranged on the left side of the water tank support 1 3. A cold water tank 6 is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the second water tank support 5. A traction machine frame 1 7 is arranged on the left side of the second water tank support 5. A double-layer wire storage rack 8 is fixedly connected between the traction machine frame 1 7 and the main machine bed support 14. A diameter gauge 9 is fixedly connected inside the traction machine frame 1 7. A dryer 10 is arranged between the traction machine frame 1 7 and the second water tank support 2 5. An online chiller 11 is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the cold water tank 6. A second support frame 15 is arranged on the left side of the traction machine frame 1 7. Two co-directional dual-station winding machines 12 are fixedly connected to the surface. The ends of the co-directional dual-station winding machines 12 are fixedly connected to the meter counters 13. The double-layer wire storage rack 8 adopts a double-layer staggered wire routing structure. The two ends of the double-layer wire storage rack 8 are fixedly connected to the main machine bed support 14 and the traction machine frame 7 respectively by bolts. This can buffer the tension of the 3D printing filament during the conveying process and prevent the filament from being pulled and broken during winding and changing. The hot water tank 4 and the cold water tank 6 are arranged horizontally in sequence along the 3D printing filament conveying direction. The length of the hot water tank 4 is greater than the length of the cold water tank 6. This realizes the continuous processing flow of the 3D printing filament being fully preheated and softened and then rapidly cooled and shaped. The water tank support 1 3 and the water tank support 2 5 both adopt an integrated steel frame structure. The bottom of the water tank support 1 3 and the water tank support 2 5 are attached and fixed to the upper surface of the main machine bed support 14 to ensure the structural stability of the water tank during operation and reduce the impact of equipment vibration on the filament processing accuracy. This 3D printing filament extrusion and winding production equipment relies on the main machine bed support 14 for overall structural support, and the equipment operates according to a continuous and refined processing flow. In the initial production stage, raw materials are fed into the drying hopper 1 fixed above the main machine bed support 14 to complete material mixing and stirring pretreatment, ensuring uniform material texture and laying the foundation for subsequent extrusion molding. The pretreated material is then conveyed to the single-screw extruder 2, where it is melted and shaped by screw extrusion, forming a preliminary 3D printing filament.

[0020] The forming wire is continuously fed to the left, first entering the hot water tank 4 mounted on the water tank support 3. The longer tank structure fully preheats and softens the wire, eliminating internal stress. The wire then enters the cold water tank 6 above the water tank support 5, where the online chiller 11 at the bottom achieves rapid cooling and shaping, completing the wire's regularization and molding. The integrated steel frame structure of the water tank supports 3 and 5 is fixed to the main machine bed support 14, effectively avoiding the impact of equipment vibration and ensuring processing accuracy.

[0021] After cooling, the filaments undergo thorough surface moisture removal in the dryer 10, ensuring dryness and cleanliness and preventing wrinkling and sticking issues during subsequent winding. The two filaments then simultaneously pass through a double-layered storage rack 8. Its staggered double-layered winding structure stably buffers the tension of the two filaments, effectively preventing breakage and uneven tension during winding and rewinding, thus meeting the requirements for simultaneous dual-filament processing. Afterwards, both sets of filaments simultaneously enter the diameter gauge 9 inside the traction machine frame 7, allowing for real-time simultaneous detection of diameter specifications and precise control of the forming quality of each filament. The core, unique design of this equipment features a dedicated structure for forming two filaments at a time, with centralized operation on one side. Combined with two unidirectional dual-station winding machines 12 located above the traction machine frame 7, it allows for the simultaneous independent winding of two 3D printing filaments from a single-side operating interface. Unlike conventional equipment with dual-outlet and dual-side operation, this design is streamlined, easy to operate, and doubles the processing efficiency. This unique and innovative structure possesses distinctive anti-copyright design features. During the winding operation, the meter counter 13 at the end of the dual-station winding machine 12 synchronously and individually counts the production length of each filament, completing the entire set of processes of dual-line extrusion, cooling, drying, detection and synchronous winding in a fully automated and high-precision manner.

[0022] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of this patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A novel piece of equipment for a 3D printing filament extrusion production line, comprising a main machine bed support (14), characterized in that: A drying hopper (1) is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the main machine bed support (14). A single screw extruder (2) is fixedly connected to the output end of the drying hopper (1). A water tank support (3) is provided on the left side of the single screw extruder (2). A hot water tank (4) is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the water tank support (3). A water tank support (5) is provided on the left side of the water tank support (3). A cold water tank (6) is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the water tank support (5). A traction machine frame (7) is provided on the left side of the water tank support (5). A double-layer wire storage rack (8) is fixedly connected between the traction machine frame (7) and the main machine bed support tooling (14).

2. The novel equipment for an extrusion consumable production line for 3D printing filaments according to claim 1, characterized in that: A diameter measuring instrument (9) is fixedly connected inside the traction machine frame one (7), and an online dryer (10) is provided between the traction machine frame one (7) and the water tank support two (5).

3. The novel equipment for an extrusion consumable production line for 3D printing filaments according to claim 1, characterized in that: An online chiller (11) is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the cold water tank (6).

4. A novel piece of equipment for an extrusion consumable production line for 3D printing filaments according to claim 1, characterized in that: A support frame 2 (15) is provided on the left side of the traction machine frame 1 (7). Two co-directional dual-station winding machines (12) are fixedly connected to the upper surface of the traction machine frame 1 (7). A meter counter (13) is fixedly connected to the end of each co-directional dual-station winding machine (12). The co-directional dual-station winding machine (12) realizes the production requirement of operating two wires at one time.

5. A novel piece of equipment for an extrusion consumable production line for 3D printing filaments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The double-layer wire storage rack (8) adopts a double-layer staggered wire routing structure. The two ends of the double-layer wire storage rack (8) are fixedly connected to the main machine bed support (14) and the traction machine frame (7) respectively by bolts. This can buffer the tension of the 3D printing filament during the conveying process and prevent the filament from being pulled and broken when winding and changing the roll.

6. A novel piece of equipment for an extrusion consumable production line for 3D printing filaments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hot water tank (4) and the cold water tank (6) are arranged horizontally in sequence along the 3D printing filament conveying direction, and the length of the hot water tank (4) is greater than the length of the cold water tank (6), so as to realize the continuous processing flow of 3D printing filament being fully preheated and softened first, and then rapidly cooled and shaped.

7. A novel piece of equipment for an extrusion consumable production line for 3D printing filaments according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the first water tank support (3) and the second water tank support (5) adopt an integrated steel frame structure, and the bottom of the first water tank support (3) and the second water tank support (5) are attached and fixed to the upper surface of the main machine bed support (14) to ensure the structural stability of the water tank during operation and reduce the impact of equipment operation vibration on the accuracy of wire processing.

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