Double-material projection photocuring additive manufacturing equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses double-material projection light curing additive manufacturing equipment which comprises an equipment body, a DLP projection light machine, a liftable and rotatable printing platform, a resin tank assembly, a cleaning tank assembly and a linear sliding rail. The resin tank assembly comprises two independent resin tanks, and a compressed air input guide pipe, a multidirectional air nozzle and a cleaning liquid recovery pipeline are arranged in the cleaning tank assembly. And the resin tank and the cleaning tank are both mounted on the linear sliding rail, so that automatic station switching is facilitated. And through a platform rotary spin-drying and blowing drying structure, cross contamination of the materials is effectively reduced, and the printing precision of the double materials is improved. The device is compact in structure and suitable for additive manufacturing application of a high-precision heterostructure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of additive manufacturing equipment technology, and in particular to a dual-material projection photopolymerization additive manufacturing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread application of 3D printing technology in various fields such as medical, industrial manufacturing, education and scientific research, Digital Light Processing (DLP) has become one of the mainstream technologies in high-precision additive manufacturing due to its advantages such as fast forming speed, high printing accuracy and good surface quality. However, existing DLP 3D printing equipment usually only supports forming with a single material, which makes it difficult to meet the printing needs of complex models with diversified functions and heterogeneous structures.

[0003] To address this issue, some technical solutions have attempted to use multi-head or multi-slot switching methods to achieve multi-material printing. However, these solutions suffer from drawbacks such as complex structures, low switching accuracy, and severe cross-contamination of materials. For example, some devices rely on platform lifting and tank replacement during material switching, which can easily generate residual mixed materials during loading, unloading, and cleaning stages, affecting the quality of the model interface. Furthermore, existing platform cleaning methods mainly rely on immersion and manual intervention, resulting in low efficiency and insufficient automation.

[0004] Furthermore, during high-precision printing, the handling of residual resin between material switching processes directly affects the model interface quality and interlayer adhesion performance. Without an effective cleaning and drying mechanism, it will be difficult to ensure a clear interface and well-defined separation between the two materials.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need to provide a dual-material DLP printing device that is compact, efficient in material switching, thorough in cleaning and drying, and has high positioning accuracy, in order to solve the problems of difficulty in multi-material printing, serious cross-contamination, and poor structural compatibility in the existing technology. Utility Model Content

[0006] In one possible implementation, a dual-material projection photopolymerization additive manufacturing apparatus is provided, comprising: an apparatus body 1; a DLP projection optical engine 2 disposed at the bottom of the apparatus body 1; a printing platform 3 disposed at the top of the apparatus body 1 and capable of vertical lifting, the printing platform 3 being driven by a Z-axis linear motor 31 and provided with a platform rotation drive mechanism 32 for high-speed rotation; and a resin tank assembly 4 and a cleaning tank assembly 5 disposed below the printing platform 3, the resin tank assembly 4 including a resin tank A 41 and a resin tank B. 42; The resin tank assembly 4 and the cleaning tank assembly 5 are mounted side by side on the linear guide rail 6, and are used to switch to the area below the printing platform 3 as needed during the printing process; The cleaning tank assembly 5 is equipped with a compressed air input conduit 51 and a multi-directional air nozzle 52, which are used to blow air to clean and dry the surface of the printing platform 3; The cleaning tank assembly 5 is also equipped with a cleaning fluid recovery pipe 53, which is used to replace the cleaning fluid; The device also includes a main control unit 8 electrically connected to the above components, which is used to control the lifting and rotating of the printing platform 3, the switching between the resin tank assembly 4 and the cleaning tank assembly 5, and the execution of the cleaning process.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the platform rotation drive mechanism 32 is used to drive the printing platform 3 to rotate at a speed of 200 rpm to 1500 rpm before material switching, so as to achieve the spin-drying of residual resin on the platform surface.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the linear guide rail 6 is used to guide the resin tank assembly 4 and the cleaning tank assembly 5 to move horizontally, thereby completing a rapid switch between the printing material station and the cleaning station.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the multi-directional air nozzle 52 is connected to the compressed air input conduit 51, and the multi-directional air nozzle 52 is arranged at multiple positions of the cleaning tank assembly 5, which can dry the airflow sprayed from multiple directions on the printing platform 3.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the main control unit 8 is used to control the Z-axis linear motor 31 to realize the lifting action of the printing platform 3, and coordinate the timing logic of platform rotation, material switching and cleaning and drying to realize a continuous dual-material printing process.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the printing platform 3 is connected to the platform rotation drive mechanism 32 via a detachable structure to facilitate maintenance, replacement, or adaptation to printing bearing surfaces of different shapes.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the resin tank A 41 and resin tank B 42 are modular structures of the same size, which facilitates replacement, interchange, or expansion of the number of tanks according to usage requirements.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the cleaning tank assembly 5 is provided with a cleaning fluid observation window or a liquid level indicator structure for real-time monitoring of the cleaning fluid level.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the cleaning fluid recovery pipe 53 is provided with a quick-connect interface or valve structure to facilitate the discharge or replacement of the cleaning fluid.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the DLP projection optical engine 2 includes an LED light source assembly and an optical lens group, which are installed in a closed chamber at the bottom of the device body 1 to prevent external stray light or dust from interfering with printing accuracy.

[0016] Based on the above technical solutions, the dual-material projection photopolymerization additive manufacturing equipment of this utility model, by constructing a dual resin tank assembly, a high-precision lifting platform with a rotating structure, an automatic cleaning tank, and a movable linear slide rail system, realizes the functions of rapid switching between multiple materials, high-speed spin drying of the platform, and multi-directional air blowing drying. It solves the technical problems of existing DLP printing equipment, such as difficulty in achieving high-precision multi-material printing, serious cross-contamination of materials, and low platform cleaning efficiency. It has the advantages of compact structure, high positioning accuracy, high material changing and cleaning efficiency, and clear printing interface, and is suitable for automated additive manufacturing scenarios of precision heterogeneous structural components. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the dual-material projection photopolymerization additive manufacturing equipment of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the printing platform and the rotating liquid-spraying mechanism in this utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the dual-material resin tank and cleaning tank assembly in this utility model.

[0021] In the diagram, the equipment body is 1, the DLP projection optical engine is 2, the printing platform is 3, the Z-axis linear motor is 31, the platform rotation drive mechanism is 32, the resin tank assembly is 4, the resin tank A is 41, the resin tank B is 42, the cleaning tank assembly is 5, the compressed air input duct is 51, the multi-directional air nozzle is 52, the cleaning fluid recovery pipe is 53, the linear slide rail is 6, the cleaning fluid storage tank is 7, and the main control unit is 8. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the implementation methods of this application are illustrated below through specific examples. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. This application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific implementation methods, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] It should be noted that the following description covers various aspects of embodiments within the scope of protection of this utility model. It will be apparent that the aspects described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, and any particular structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on this application, those skilled in the art will understand that one aspect described herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number and aspects set forth herein can be used to implement the device and / or practice the method. Additionally, this device and / or method can be implemented using structures and / or functionalities other than one or more of the aspects set forth herein.

[0024] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of this utility model, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0025] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 1 As shown, this utility model provides a dual-material projection photopolymerization additive manufacturing device, including a device body 1. The device body 1 constitutes the supporting frame of the entire printing device, and integrates various drive units, optical systems and control systems. Its structure has high stability, which is conducive to ensuring printing accuracy.

[0026] A printing platform 3 is mounted on top of the main body 1. The printing platform 3 supports the printed parts and serves as the base surface for the layer-by-layer curing of the model. The printing platform 3 is connected to a Z-axis linear motor 31, which is fixedly mounted on the top of the main body 1. The Z-axis linear motor 31 drives the printing platform 3 to move up and down along the Z-axis (vertical direction), thereby realizing the layer-by-layer construction and demolding process. The Z-axis linear motor 31 uses a high-precision ball screw and an encoded feedback system, enabling ±1μm level displacement control to ensure the stability of the printed layer thickness and the vertical accuracy of the model.

[0027] A platform rotation drive mechanism 32 is installed above the printing platform 3. The platform rotation drive mechanism 32 is used to drive the platform to rotate at high speed before the material switching or cleaning step, thereby using centrifugal force to remove residual resin liquid from the platform surface. This rotation mechanism has a compact structure and an adjustable speed range, effectively improving cleaning efficiency and reducing the risk of cross-contamination between different materials. It is one of the key links in achieving multi-material printing accuracy.

[0028] A projection curing module, namely the DLP projection optical engine 2, is located in the corresponding area below the printing platform 3. The DLP projection optical engine 2 is mounted at the bottom of the device body 1. It emits 405nm wavelength ultraviolet light upwards through an upward projection structure and precisely focuses the projected image onto the lower surface of the build layer on the printing platform to achieve instantaneous curing of specific layer morphologies. This optical engine integrates a high-brightness LED light source and a precision optical lens system, supporting XY resolution printing accuracy within the range of 10–50μm.

[0029] Located in the working area below the printing platform 3 are a resin tank assembly 4 and a cleaning tank assembly 5. The resin tank assembly 4 includes two independent resin tanks, resin tank A 41 and resin tank B 42, used to store liquid photosensitive resin materials with different properties, colors, or functions. Users can preset switching conditions, and the control system will execute the material replacement operation. The cleaning tank assembly 5 is arranged on the same horizontal linear guide rail as the resin tank assembly 4, and can hold cleaning fluid to perform the cleaning operation.

[0030] The resin tank assembly 4 and the cleaning tank assembly 5 are mounted together on the linear guide rail 6. The linear guide rail 6 is arranged laterally inside the equipment body 1 and is used to guide each functional station to switch horizontally (in the X or Y direction) to below the printing platform 3. It works in conjunction with the lifting and lowering action of the platform to complete the switching of material selection, cleaning, and printing operations. The positioning accuracy and rigidity of each tank are ensured by this guide rail structure.

[0031] The cleaning fluid is supplied by a cleaning fluid storage tank 7 located on the outside of the equipment body 1. The storage tank 7 is connected to the cleaning tank assembly 5 via a pipeline to continuously supply alcohol-based cleaning fluid for rapid cleaning of the platform surface. The equipment is also equipped with a main control unit 8, which is electrically connected to each execution module and has functions such as task management, motion scheduling, and timing control. It can control the execution of actions such as Z-axis lifting, platform rotation, workstation switching, projection exposure, and cleaning fluid injection and discharge according to a preset process, realizing full automation from printing to material replacement, cleaning, and printing again.

[0032] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 2 As shown, the printing platform 3 is connected to the output end of the platform rotation drive mechanism 32 via a support member. The platform rotation drive mechanism 32 is fixedly mounted on the lower moving component of the Z-axis linear motor 31. The Z-axis linear motor 31 drives the entire printing platform assembly to move up and down along the Z-axis, thereby completing the stepping motion between printing layers. This platform rotation structure enables the dual-material printing equipment to achieve automated resin cleaning and structural integration without adding an additional cleaning module. This significantly improves the controllability and accuracy of material switching between printing tasks, ensuring the clarity of the multi-material printing interface and the consistency of the finished product.

[0033] The platform rotation drive mechanism 32 adopts an electric servo drive structure, and its output shaft is coaxially connected to the printing platform 3, enabling the printing platform 3 to rotate at a set speed. In actual operation, after the printing platform 3 completes the printing layer of the current resin material, the system first controls the Z-axis linear motor 31 to drive the platform 3 to rise to a preset height, so that the platform is completely removed from the current working slot. Then, the platform rotation drive mechanism 32 is activated, causing the printing platform 3 to rotate at a high speed in the range of 200 rpm to 1500 rpm, using centrifugal force to throw off the residual photosensitive resin on the lower surface of the platform.

[0034] This spin-drying process can be completed in seconds, effectively removing non-cured liquid materials adhering to the platform surface. It is particularly suitable for pre-treatment steps before material changes, significantly reducing the risk of cross-mixing between different materials. Compared with traditional methods relying on airflow or manual cleaning, this structure has significant advantages such as high automation, fast processing efficiency, and low residue rate.

[0035] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 3 As shown, the printing equipment of this utility model includes multiple station modules arranged along a linear slide rail 6. Each station module includes a resin tank assembly 4 and a cleaning tank assembly 5. The linear slide rail 6 is fixedly installed on the equipment body and is used to guide the station modules to move smoothly in the horizontal direction, completing the automatic switching between different material stations.

[0036] The resin tank assembly 4 includes two independent resin tanks, resin tank A 41 and resin tank B 42. Each resin tank stores and provides a liquid photosensitive resin, corresponding to different functional areas or different colors and properties of materials in the printed model. A linear guide rail 6 allows the resin tank assembly 4 to move laterally below the printing platform during the printing process according to control commands, completing the material supply. The main control system controls the platform's lifting and lowering and the tank's movement, achieving automatic switching between resin materials without manual intervention.

[0037] After the printing platform completes the curing of a set of materials, the system controls the linear guide rail 6 to move the current workstation module out of the printing area, while simultaneously driving the cleaning tank assembly 5 to move below the printing platform. At this time, the platform can descend into the cleaning tank assembly 5 to complete the automatic cleaning operation. The cleaning tank assembly 5 is equipped with a sealed tank capable of containing cleaning fluid, and its inner wall is fitted with multiple cleaning devices, including a compressed air input conduit 51 and a multi-directional air nozzle 52.

[0038] Specifically, after the printing platform is immersed in the cleaning solution in the cleaning tank assembly 5, the surface of the printing platform can be deeply peeled and rinsed by ultrasonic cleaning to remove residual uncured resin material. Subsequently, airflow is introduced through the compressed air input duct 51 to drive the multi-directional air nozzles 52 to blow dry the surface of the printing platform from multiple angles, in order to further remove droplets and accelerate drying, thereby improving cleaning efficiency and preparation time before the next material processing station.

[0039] The cleaning tank assembly 5 is also equipped with a cleaning fluid recovery pipe 53 for periodically replacing the cleaning fluid in the tank. After multiple printing cycles or a complete batch of printing, the system can open the cleaning fluid recovery pipe 53 via a control device to drain the old liquid in the cleaning tank into a designated collection container, facilitating maintenance and environmentally friendly disposal. This drainage design avoids subsequent material contamination due to liquid pollution, ensuring consistent print quality.

[0040] This invention, by setting up a dual resin tank structure, a cleaning tank assembly, and a switchable modular layout based on a linear slide rail 6, enables the printing platform 3 to quickly switch between different materials multiple times in a single printing task according to a preset path. Combined with the platform's rotating spin-drying and multi-directional air-blowing cleaning mechanism, it significantly reduces material replacement time and the risk of cross-contamination.

[0041] The entire operation of the equipment is centrally managed by the main control unit 8. Its control strategies include, but are not limited to, Z-axis displacement control, rotary drive control, optomechanical projection parameter setting, workstation module sliding scheduling, and cleaning program invocation. Although the structure of the main control unit 8 is not shown in detail in the attached drawings, as a mature industrial-grade control module, it can be implemented by a general-purpose embedded motion controller, PLC, or industrial PC, and work with the sensor data acquisition module to achieve full-process closed-loop control.

[0042] In a further embodiment, the printing platform 3 is connected to the platform rotation drive mechanism 32 via a detachable structure, such as a quick-release buckle, threaded connection, or positioning pin structure, which facilitates quick disassembly or replacement when the platform is worn, contaminated, or when different shaped building surfaces need to be replaced, thereby improving equipment maintenance efficiency and adaptability.

[0043] The resin tank A 41 and resin tank B 42 are preferably modular tanks with the same size and shape. The outer shell of the tank is provided with a standardized guide rail mounting interface and positioning holes, which can realize quick interchange between the two tanks and facilitate the subsequent expansion of more material slots according to the usage scenario, thereby improving the configurability and material compatibility of the equipment.

[0044] To facilitate cleaning fluid management, the cleaning tank assembly 5 can be equipped with a transparent observation window, a scale, or a float-type liquid level indicator structure. Users can directly judge the cleaning fluid level and usage status through the window on the equipment casing, improving operational convenience and safety.

[0045] The cleaning fluid recovery pipeline 53 is preferably equipped with a quick-connect interface or a discharge structure with a valve, which facilitates centralized discharge, replacement or recovery of the cleaning fluid by the user, reduces maintenance time and lowers the risk of liquid leakage.

[0046] In addition, to ensure projection accuracy, the DLP projection optical engine 2 is located in a closed optical cabin at the bottom of the device body 1. The optical cabin structure shields the light source, effectively preventing external ambient light, dust and other factors from interfering with the quality of the printed image. The DLP projection optical engine 2 includes an LED light source assembly and an optical lens group to ensure image clarity and exposure uniformity, and supports high-resolution curing.

[0047] In addition, although the liquid level monitoring sensor, temperature control component, ultrasonic generator and other components are not shown in the figure, these components can be flexibly integrated into the resin tank assembly 4 or the cleaning tank assembly 5 without changing the overall structural framework, so as to improve the stability of the liquid level, the accuracy of material viscosity control and cleaning efficiency.

[0048] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and not to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.

Claims

1. A dual-material projection photopolymerization additive manufacturing device, characterized in that, include: Equipment body (1); DLP projection optical engine (2) is located at the bottom of the device body (1); A printing platform (3) is set on the top of the device body (1) and can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction. The printing platform (3) is driven by a Z-axis linear motor (31) and is provided with a platform rotation drive mechanism (32) for high-speed rotation. The resin tank assembly (4) and the cleaning tank assembly (5) are located below the printing platform (3). The resin tank assembly (4) includes a resin tank A (41) and a resin tank B (42). The resin tank assembly (4) and the cleaning tank assembly (5) are installed side by side on a linear slide rail (6) for switching to the area below the printing platform (3) as needed during the printing process. The cleaning tank assembly (5) is equipped with a compressed air input conduit (51) and a multi-directional air nozzle (52) for blowing air to clean and dry the surface of the printing platform (3). The cleaning tank assembly (5) is also equipped with a cleaning fluid recovery pipe (53) for replacing the cleaning fluid. The device also includes a main control unit (8) electrically connected to the above components, used to control the lifting and rotating of the printing platform (3), the switching of the resin tank assembly (4) and the cleaning tank assembly (5), and the execution of the cleaning process.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The platform rotation drive mechanism (32) is used to drive the printing platform (3) to rotate at a speed of 200 rpm to 1500 rpm before material switching, so as to dry the residual resin on the platform surface.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The linear slide rail (6) is used to guide the resin tank assembly (4) and the cleaning tank assembly (5) to move horizontally, thereby completing the switching between the printing material station and the cleaning station.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-directional air nozzle (52) is connected to the compressed air input conduit (51). The multi-directional air nozzle (52) is arranged at multiple positions on the cleaning tank assembly (5) and can dry the airflow jetting from multiple directions onto the printing platform (3).

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main control unit (8) is used to control the Z-axis linear motor (31) to realize the lifting action of the printing platform (3), and coordinate the timing logic of platform rotation, material switching and cleaning and drying to realize a continuous dual-material printing process.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The printing platform (3) is connected to the platform rotation drive mechanism (32) via a detachable structure to facilitate maintenance, replacement or adaptation of printing bearing surfaces of different shapes.

7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The resin tank A (41) and resin tank B (42) are modular structures of the same size, which facilitates replacement, interchange or expansion of the number of tanks according to usage requirements.

8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning tank assembly (5) is provided with a cleaning fluid observation window or liquid level indicator structure for real-time monitoring of the cleaning fluid level.

9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning fluid recovery pipeline (53) is equipped with a quick-connect interface or valve structure to facilitate the discharge or replacement of cleaning fluid.

10. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The DLP projection optical engine (2) includes an LED light source assembly and an optical lens assembly, which are installed in a closed chamber at the bottom of the device body (1) to prevent external stray light or dust from interfering with printing accuracy.

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