3D printer

Abstract

The utility model provides a 3D printer and relates to the technical field of printing devices. Comprising an X-axis module which is provided with a first sliding rail and a linear module in parallel; the first sliding block and the first sliding block arranged on the first sliding rail are the same in height, and at least two material grooves used for containing printing materials are formed in the upper end of the first sliding block and the upper end of the second sliding block; the bottom of the trough is made of a transparent material, and a laser printing head or a UV projector is arranged below the trough; the Y-axis module is provided with a material taking platform capable of moving vertically, and the moving track of the material groove passes through the position under the material taking platform. By means of the structure, different types of printing materials can be placed in different material grooves, the positions of the material grooves can be automatically switched in a pause mode in the printing process, multiple materials can be printed, one workpiece can be printed through the multiple materials, multiple material groove positions can be moved and replaced, and diversified 3D printing is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of printing devices, and in particular to a 3D printer. Background Art

[0002] Printing is a form of information recording, typically transferring visible data such as text or images from a computer or other electronic device onto paper or other recording media via a printer. 3D printing, on the other hand, can convert image-based models into physical models. It is a completely new printing method that uses a 3D model file as its foundation and uses bondable materials such as powdered metal or plastic to construct objects layer by layer.

[0003] Currently, 3D printers still have the following problems that need to be solved. On the one hand, the printing material is single and can only print a single material. It is impossible to stop and change the printing material at will during printing. The printed workpiece can only be composed of a single material. On the other hand, after printing, the target needs to be moved to a dedicated station or place for cleaning, which makes the production process relatively inefficient. In addition, existing 3D printers do not have an integrated part for target cleaning, and a separate cleaning device needs to be purchased, which is not only costly but also takes up space. Therefore, the utility model proposes a 3D printer to at least partially solve the problems that may exist in the existing technology. Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a 3D printer to at least partially solve the problems that may exist in the prior art.

[0005] The embodiment of the present utility model is achieved as follows:

[0006] The present invention provides a 3D printer and a control method thereof, including:

[0007] An X-axis module, on which a first slide rail and a linear module are arranged in parallel;

[0008] The linear module includes a first lead screw and a first slider disposed thereon; the first slider is at the same height as the first slider disposed on the first slide rail; at least two material troughs for placing printing materials are provided on the upper ends of the first slider and the first slider; the bottom of the material trough is made of transparent material, and a laser printing head or a UV projector is provided below the bottom;

[0009] The Y-axis module is provided with a vertically movable material-taking platform, and the moving track of the material trough passes directly below the material-taking platform.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cleaning component includes a rotating shaft component arranged on one side of the X-axis module, and the rotating shaft component is provided with a cleaning frame, wherein the rotation trajectory of the cleaning frame is located above the material trough and has a complete intersection with the moving trajectory of the material picking platform.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, three groups of material troughs are provided.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the X-axis module further includes two second slide rails arranged parallel to both sides of the first screw rod;

[0013] A second sliding block is provided on the second slide rail, and a first connecting block is provided on the upper ends of the second sliding block and the first sliding block; the material trough is provided on the first connecting block and the first sliding block.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the Y-axis module includes:

[0015] A vertical mounting plate, and a second screw rod vertically arranged thereon; a second slider is provided on the second screw rod, and the second slider is connected to a second connecting block;

[0016] The material taking platform is connected to the second connecting block via a support arm.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present invention, a sensor is provided on the vertical mounting plate at one side of the second connecting block, and a trigger piece is provided on the same side of the second connecting block and the sensor.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present invention, an adjustment handle is further provided on the upper end of the material taking platform.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cleaning assembly further includes a lifting frame and a support plate.

[0020] The rotating shaft assembly includes a rotating shaft and a rotating base plate connected to the rotating shaft;

[0021] The lifting frame is arranged on the rotating base plate, and the upper end of the lifting frame is connected to the lower end of the supporting plate;

[0022] The upper end of the supporting plate is connected to the lower end of the cleaning frame; an ultrasonic generating unit is arranged in the cleaning frame.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present invention, a frame cover is further included, and the frame cover is adapted to the upper end of the cleaning frame.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of the present invention have at least the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0025] The X-axis module is provided with a first slide rail and a linear module in parallel thereon; the linear module includes a first screw and a first slider provided thereon; the first slider is at the same height as the first slider provided on the first slide rail, and the first slider and the upper end of the first slider are provided with at least two troughs for placing printing materials; the bottom of the trough is made of transparent material, and a laser print head or UV projector is provided below it; the Y-axis module is provided with a vertically movable material collection platform, and the moving trajectory of the material trough passes directly below the material collection platform. The above structure makes it possible to place different types of printing materials in different troughs, achieve automatic switching of trough positions during printing, and print multiple materials. A workpiece can be printed with multiple materials, and multiple trough positions can be moved and replaced to achieve diverse 3D printing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a 3D printer provided in one embodiment of the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of a linear module of a 3D printer provided in one embodiment of the present utility model;

[0029] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of part A;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the steps of a 3D printing control method provided in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] In the figure: 100, X-axis module; 101, linear module; 102, first slide rail; 103, first screw rod; 104, material trough; 105, first slider; 106, second slider; 107, first connecting block; 108, second slide rail; 201, Y-axis module; 202, material retrieving platform; 203, second connecting block; 204, adjusting handle; 205, trigger piece; 206, sensor; 301, cleaning frame; 302, rotating axis; 303, rotating base plate; 304, rotating base plate; 305, support plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the following will be combined with the adsorption diagrams in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the adsorption diagrams herein can be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations.

[0033] The following describes some embodiments of the present application in detail with reference to the adsorption diagram. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features thereof may be combined with each other.

[0034] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a 3D printer, which includes: an X-axis module 100, on which a first slide rail 102 and a linear module 101 are arranged in parallel; the linear module 101 includes a first screw rod 103 and a first slider 105 arranged thereon; the first slider 105 is the same height as the first slider arranged on the first slide rail 102, and the first slider 105 and the upper end of the first slider are provided with a material trough 104 for placing printing materials; the bottom of the material trough 104 is made of transparent material, and a laser print head or UV projector is provided below it; a Y-axis module 201, on which a vertically movable material collection platform 202 is provided, and the moving trajectory of the material trough 104 passes directly below the material collection platform 202; a cleaning component, including a rotating shaft component arranged on one side of the X-axis module 100, and the rotating shaft component is provided with a cleaning frame 301, wherein the rotation trajectory of the cleaning frame 301 is located above the material trough 104 and has a complete intersection with the moving trajectory of the material collection platform 202.

[0035] In this embodiment, a photosensitive resin is set in the material trough 105, and a laser print head or a UV projector is used at the lower end to print and solidify it. The printed target can be taken out from the material trough through the Y-axis module 201 and the material taking platform 202 thereon. In addition, since 3D printing is to solidify the photosensitive resin in the material trough 105 through laser irradiation, the above-mentioned print head prints and solidifies while taking out the solidified part through the above-mentioned material taking platform 202, so that the printed target can grow with the movement length of the Y-axis module.

[0036] The above-mentioned troughs 104 can be provided with two or more. For example, in the present application, it is preferred to provide three groups of troughs 104. By using multiple groups of troughs 104, different types of printing materials can be placed in different troughs 104, and the trough position can be automatically switched during printing. Multiple materials can be printed, a workpiece can be printed with multiple materials, and multiple trough positions can be moved and replaced.

[0037] Next, a 3D printer in this exemplary embodiment will be further described.

[0038] In one embodiment of this application, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a 3D printer, which includes: an X-axis module 100, on which a first slide rail 102 and a linear module 101 are arranged in parallel; the linear module 101 includes a first screw rod 103 and a first slider 105 arranged thereon; the first slider 105 is the same height as the first slider arranged on the first slide rail 102, and the first slider 105 and the upper end of the first slider are provided with a material trough 104 for placing printing materials; the bottom of the material trough 104 is made of transparent material, and a laser printing head is provided below it; a Y-axis module 201, on which a vertically movable material collection platform 202 is provided, and the moving trajectory of the material trough 104 passes directly below the material collection platform 202; a cleaning component, including a rotating shaft component arranged on one side of the X-axis module 100, and the rotating shaft component is provided with a cleaning frame 301, wherein the rotation trajectory of the cleaning frame 301 is located above the material trough 104 and has a complete intersection with the moving trajectory of the material collection platform 202.

[0039] The cleaning frame 301 is used to cooperate with the rotating shaft assembly so that it can rotate and intersect with the trajectory of the material-collecting platform 202, so that the printed target can be placed in the cleaning frame 301 through the material-collecting platform 202 for cleaning, thereby realizing the integration of 3D printing and cleaning in the same device, and cleaning can be performed immediately after printing is completed, without the need to transfer to a cleaning place or station, thereby improving the output efficiency of 3D printing. Specifically, the cleaning frame 301 is integrated into the 3D printer, so that after printing is completed, cleaning can be performed directly inside the printer without transferring the printed part to other stations or places, thereby improving work efficiency, avoiding the additional purchase and setting of a separate cleaning device, saving space and reducing costs. The moving trajectory design of the material-collecting platform 202 and the cleaning frame 301 allows the printing and cleaning processes to be carried out automatically, reducing manual intervention and improving the convenience and efficiency of operation. The above-mentioned 3D printer reduces the post-printing transfer and cleaning steps by integrating a cleaning function, significantly improving the efficiency of the entire printing process. It also avoids the additional purchase and maintenance of separate cleaning equipment, reducing overall costs. The integrated design reduces the space occupied by the equipment, making the working environment neater and more efficient. The automated printing and cleaning process simplifies the operating steps and improves the user experience.

[0040] In one embodiment of the present application, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the X-axis module 100 also includes two second slide rails 108 arranged parallel to both sides of the first screw rod 103; a second slider 106 is provided on the second slide rail 108, and a first connecting block 107 is provided on the upper end of the second slider 106 and the first slider 105; the material trough 104 is arranged on the first connecting block 107 and the first slider.

[0041] By setting two second slide rails 108 on both sides of the above-mentioned first screw rod 103 and connecting them through the first connecting block 107, the above-mentioned first slider 105 can move more smoothly when the first screw rod 103 moves, so that the above-mentioned first connecting block 107 and the material trough 104 set on the first slider can move more smoothly.

[0042] In one embodiment of the present application, the Y-axis module 201 includes: a vertical mounting plate, and a second screw rod (not shown in the figure) vertically arranged thereon; a second slider is provided on the second screw rod, and the second slider is connected to a second connecting block 203; the material picking platform 202 is connected to the second connecting block 203 via a support arm. By means of the second screw rod vertically arranged on the vertical mounting plate, and the second slider provided on the second screw rod, the second connecting block 203 can drive the support arm and the material picking platform 202 installed on the support arm to move in the vertical direction. When printing, the printed workpiece is taken out from the material trough 104 by the material picking platform 202, and the unprinted part in the material trough 104 is continuously printed until the printing is completed. During the printing process, the printed part is gradually taken out from the material trough 104. When printing is completed, the material picking platform 202 is completely taken out from the material trough 104 and continues to rise so that the height of the lower part of the workpiece is higher than the cleaning frame 3. 01. At this point, the cleaning frame 301 is driven to rotate beneath the workpiece. The retrieving platform 202 places the workpiece into the cleaning frame 301 for cleaning. Once the workpiece is placed into the cleaning frame 301, it is removed from the retrieving platform 202 and the cleaning frame 301 rotates to another location for cleaning. Meanwhile, the UV projector can continue printing in the material trough 104 and retrieve material from the material trough 104 again via the retrieving platform 202. This allows for simultaneous printing and cleaning operations, thereby improving production efficiency. Furthermore, the equipment automatically transfers the workpiece during this process, eliminating the need for manual transfer, further automating the entire process from printing to cleaning in 3D printing. It should be noted that the application of UV projectors in 3D printing primarily involves "photocuring" or "photosensitive resin printing." This principle utilizes an ultraviolet light source (typically a UV projector) to cure resin layer by layer. The printing trough 104 is filled with photosensitive resin. This resin undergoes a curing reaction under ultraviolet light, transforming into a solid solid. The UV projector projects an ultraviolet pattern corresponding to the slice image. The photosensitive resin cures rapidly under ultraviolet light in the projected area, while the unexposed areas remain liquid. UV projectors enable high-resolution image projection, resulting in highly accurate printed details. They also rapidly cure the resin, increasing print speeds and enabling the creation of complex geometries and fine details, making them ideal for creating complex and high-precision models.

[0043] In one embodiment of the present application, a sensor 206 is provided on the vertical mounting plate on one side of the second connecting block 203, and a trigger piece 205 is provided on the same side of the second connecting block 203 as the sensor 206. The sensor 206 and the trigger piece provided on the second connecting block 203 can sense the movement of the second connecting block 203, thereby enabling the reclaiming platform 202 to sense the movement.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present application, Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, an adjustment handle 204 is further provided at the upper end of the material retrieving platform 202 , which can be used to adjust the tightness of the material retrieving platform 202 so that the workpiece can be stably retrieved by the material retrieving platform 202 .

[0045] In one embodiment of the present application, the cleaning assembly further includes a lifting frame 304 and a support plate 305; the rotating shaft assembly includes a rotating shaft 302 and a rotating base plate 303 connected to the rotating shaft 302; the lifting frame 304 is arranged on the rotating base plate 303, and the upper end of the lifting frame 304 is connected to the lower end of the support plate 305; the upper end of the support plate 305 is connected to the lower end of the cleaning frame 301; and an ultrasonic generating unit is provided in the cleaning frame 301.

[0046] The height of the cleaning frame 301 can be adjusted by the lifting frame 304 , so that the material taking platform 202 can be conveniently used to place the workpiece into the cleaning frame 301 .

[0047] In one embodiment of the present application, a frame cover (not shown in the figure) is further included, which is adapted to the upper end of the cleaning frame 301. After the workpiece is placed in the cleaning frame 301, the frame cover is buckled, and the ultrasonic generating unit in the cleaning frame 301 is started to perform ultrasonic cleaning on the workpiece to prevent the cleaning agent in the cleaning frame 301, such as water or alcohol, from splashing out of the cleaning frame 301 and causing adverse effects on the environment.

[0048] As for the embodiment of the method, since it is basically similar to the embodiment of the device, the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the embodiment of the method.

[0049] Reference Figure 4 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a flowchart of a 3D printing control method, which is applied to the 3D printer, and includes:

[0050] Model acquisition step S100: acquiring a 3D printing model, dividing the workpiece model into M printing areas according to a continuous material composition, and counting the N types of materials required to be used in the M printing areas, where M>=1, N>=1;

[0051] Target setting step S200: selecting the mth area among the M printing areas and setting it as the printing target, wherein m is an integer greater than 0 and not greater than M;

[0052] Material processing step S300: according to the material type of the printing target, the corresponding material trough is moved to the bottom of the material taking platform;

[0053] Target printing step S400: emitting a laser through the bottom of the trough to solidify the photosensitive resin in the trough along the laser irradiation path, removing the solidified portion from the trough via the material removal platform, and retaining at least a portion of the solidified target in the trough until the target is printed;

[0054] If M=1, printing is completed; otherwise, the m-1th printing area among the Mm printing areas is selected as the printing target, where Mm is the remaining unprinted area; jump to the material processing step S300 and execute until Mm=0.

[0055] It should be noted that Mm in this application is not a subtraction operation, but excludes the area that has been printed.

[0056] As an example, if the designed 3D printing model is composed of two materials, it has three parts, the head and tail parts are made of the same material, and the middle part is made of another material. It is divided into three printing areas according to the continuous material composition of the workpiece model, and the two material types required in the three printing areas are counted; the first area of ​​the three printing areas is selected as the printing target; according to the material type of the printing target, the corresponding first material trough is moved to the bottom of the material trough directly below the material collection platform; a laser is emitted into it through the bottom of the material trough, so that the photosensitive resin in the first material trough is solidified according to the irradiation trajectory of the laser, and the solidified part is taken out from the material trough through the material collection platform, and the solidified target is at least partially retained in the material trough. During the printing process, the printed part is taken out. Since the printing is not stopped, the solidified part retained in the material trough can continue the newly printed and solidified part until the printing target is completed and all are taken out. At this time, the printing of the first printing area is completed; the remaining is unfinished. Since the mth one of the M printing areas has been removed at this time, that is, the first one that has been printed has been removed among the three printing areas, the mth area of ​​the remaining M printing areas is selected and set as the printing target, where m is an integer greater than 0 and not greater than M; then return to the material processing step S300 and execute, according to the material type of the printing target, move the corresponding second material trough to the bottom of the material trough, so that the photosensitive resin in the second material trough is cured according to the irradiation trajectory of the laser, and the cured part is taken out of the second material trough through the material taking platform, and the cured target is at least partially retained in the second material trough until the printing target is completed; at this time, the last printing area remains, and the material of the last printing area is the same as the first one. At this time, the first material trough is transferred to the bottom of the material taking platform, and the above steps are repeated until printing is completed. At this time, since the mth printing target corresponding to the M printing areas has been completely printed, it can no longer be removed, that is, Mm=0.

[0057] It should be noted that the M printing areas are equivalent to a certain quantity, and m, starting from the first one and ending at the last one, is equivalent to a variable.

[0058] It should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from the other embodiments. Reference can be made to the common and similar parts between the various embodiments. Although alternative embodiments of the present invention have been described, those skilled in the art may make additional changes and modifications to these embodiments once they understand the basic inventive concepts. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the alternative embodiments and all changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0059] Finally, it should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, etc., are used only to distinguish one entity from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that an article or terminal device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such article or terminal device. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the article or terminal device comprising the element.

[0060] The above is a detailed introduction to the technical solution provided by the present invention. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the principles and implementation methods of the present invention, there may be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scopes. In summary, the contents of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A 3D printer, characterized in that: include: An X-axis module, on which a first slide rail and a linear module are arranged in parallel; The linear module includes a first lead screw and a first slider disposed thereon; the first slider is at the same height as the first slider disposed on the first slide rail; at least two material troughs for placing printing materials are provided on the upper ends of the first slider and the first slider; the bottom of the material trough is made of transparent material, and a laser printing head or a UV projector is provided below the bottom; The Y-axis module is provided with a vertically movable material-taking platform, and the moving track of the material trough passes directly below the material-taking platform.

2. The 3D printer according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes a cleaning component, which includes a rotating shaft component arranged on one side of the X-axis module. The rotating shaft component is provided with a cleaning frame, wherein the rotation trajectory of the cleaning frame is located above the material trough and has a complete intersection with the moving trajectory of the material picking platform.

3. The 3D printer according to claim 1, wherein: The material troughs are provided in three groups.

4. The 3D printer according to claim 1, wherein: The X-axis module further includes two second slide rails arranged in parallel on both sides of the first screw rod; A second sliding block is provided on the second slide rail, and a first connecting block is provided on the upper ends of the second sliding block and the first sliding block; the material trough is provided on the first connecting block and the first sliding block.

5. The 3D printer according to claim 1, wherein: The Y-axis module includes: A vertical mounting plate, and a second screw rod vertically arranged thereon; a second slider is provided on the second screw rod, and the second slider is connected to a second connecting block; The material taking platform is connected to the second connecting block via a support arm.

6. The 3D printer according to claim 5, characterized in that: A sensor is provided on a position of the vertical mounting plate on one side of the second connecting block, and a trigger piece is provided on the same side of the second connecting block and the sensor.

7. The 3D printer according to claim 5, characterized in that: An adjusting handle is also provided on the upper end of the material taking platform.

8. The 3D printer according to claim 2, wherein: The cleaning assembly further includes a lifting frame and a supporting plate; The rotating shaft assembly includes a rotating shaft and a rotating base plate connected to the rotating shaft; The lifting frame is arranged on the rotating base plate, and the upper end of the lifting frame is connected to the lower end of the supporting plate; The upper end of the supporting plate is connected to the lower end of the cleaning frame; an ultrasonic generating unit is arranged in the cleaning frame.

9. The 3D printer according to claim 2 or 8, characterized in that: It also includes a frame cover, which is matched with the upper end of the cleaning frame.

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