Efficient drying device for 3D printing material

Abstract

A kind of 3D printing material high-efficiency drying device, it is characterized by: device is divided into material bin and drying bin two parts, 3D printing material is placed in material bin, so that dry gas from drying bin enters material bin from circulating air inlet, 3D printing material is dried, then dry gas becomes humid gas and is discharged from circulating air outlet to return to drying bin circulation;The main components of drying bin include: semiconductor refrigerating sheet, steam-water separator, circulating fan, power supply and related control circuit;The cold end and hot end of semiconductor refrigerating sheet are provided with fins, which separates drying bin into cold zone and hot zone;Humid gas from circulating air outlet first enters drying bin cold zone, contacts with the cold end fin of semiconductor refrigerating sheet, condenses, after steam-water separation, dehydrated cold gas is obtained, enters hot zone, after being heated by the hot end of semiconductor refrigerating sheet, it is called dry gas, and is sent into material bin from circulating air inlet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to 3D printing material pretreatment technology, drying technology and energy saving, and in particular to a high-efficiency drying device for 3D printing materials. Background Technology

[0002] Since most 3D printing materials have a certain degree of hygroscopicity, they are prone to moisture absorption, which in turn affects the printing effect. There are three main methods for drying 3D printing consumables: (1) Heating drying, which uses hot air to directly heat the printing material for drying. This method is inexpensive, but since the drying air source is from the outside air, the drying efficiency will be greatly reduced when the air itself has a high moisture content, or even cannot be dried; (2) Desiccant adsorption, such as molecular sieves, silica gel and other materials, which absorb moisture in the air in the storage container to indirectly dry the printing material. This method is very inefficient, and for printing materials such as PTEG (polyethylene terephthalate-1,4-cyclohexanediol ester) with higher hygroscopicity than desiccants, it may not even achieve the drying effect; (3) Vacuum drying, which uses vacuum pumps to create a vacuum environment and places the consumables in the vacuum environment to accelerate moisture evaporation. This method has the best effect, but the equipment cost is very high, and it is difficult to popularize in the general household market or small 3D printing factories.

[0003] CN 220409663 U discloses a 3D printing consumable drying mechanism, which includes a base, a cover material, a consumable material tray, a graphene heating mechanism, a ventilation mechanism, a lifting material support mechanism, and a sealing mechanism. The sealing mechanism assembles the base and cover material into an internal sealed space. The consumable material tray, graphene heating mechanism, ventilation mechanism, and lifting support mechanism are disposed inside the sealed space. The graphene heating mechanism includes a heating platform, a heater, a graphene material heating layer, and a heat-conducting plate. The ventilation mechanism includes an air intake, a material exhaust pipe, an exhaust fan, and an air outlet. The lifting support mechanism includes a material telescopic cylinder, a lifting platform, and a connecting plate. The graphene heating layer has the characteristics of fast material heating speed and high electrothermal conversion efficiency, which is conducive to uniform heating of the material on the heat-conducting plate. Through the setting of the lifting support mechanism, it is convenient to adjust the height of the support component to accommodate various types of consumable materials. Although this method uses more efficient graphene heating materials and an adjustable lifting platform, it is still essentially a hot air drying method and cannot solve the problem of drying under high humidity conditions in the outside air.

[0004] CN 223131383 U discloses an intelligent 3D printing consumable drying chamber, which includes: a shell, a drying module; a material tray module, including a material weighing sensor, a material tray roller, and a material tray; RFID tags are attached to the materials on the material tray; a data acquisition module, including an electronic device support material board, an RFID reader, a temperature and humidity sensor, and a motherboard; and a dehumidification and condensation module embedded on one side of the drying module. The drying module dries the consumable materials, and the temperature and humidity sensor monitors the air temperature and humidity in real time. The motherboard controls the dehumidification and condensation module based on the monitoring results, condensing water vapor in the air into water and automatically discharging it from the material, ensuring a low humidity level inside the drying chamber. The introduction of RFID tags and an RFID reader enables automatic identification and reading of consumable information, improving the intelligence and automation level of the drying chamber. This patent provides a drying device that combines heating and drying with condensation, but its overall structure is complex, costly, and energy-intensive. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a high-efficiency drying device for 3D printing materials, aiming to solve the problems of poor drying effect and high energy consumption in existing 3D printing material drying devices. The specific technical solution of this invention is as follows: A small-scale, high-efficiency drying device for 3D printing materials is provided. The device consists of two parts: a material chamber and a drying chamber. The 3D printing material is placed in the material chamber.

[0006] There is a circulating air inlet and outlet between the material chamber and the drying chamber. The dry gas from the drying chamber enters the material chamber through the circulating air inlet to dry the 3D printing material. After drying, the dry gas becomes humid gas and is discharged from the circulating air outlet back to the drying chamber. After dehydration in the drying chamber, it becomes dry gas again and continues to circulate.

[0007] The main components of the drying chamber include: a semiconductor cooling chip, a steam-water separator, a circulating fan, a power supply, and related control circuits; Both the cold and hot ends of the thermoelectric cooler are equipped with fins, which isolate the drying chamber into cold and hot zones. The humid gas from the circulating air outlet first enters the cold zone of the drying chamber, contacts and condenses with the cold end fins of the thermoelectric cooler, and after steam-water separation, it becomes dehydrated cold gas, which enters the hot zone. After being heated by the hot end of the thermoelectric cooler, it is called dry gas and is sent into the material silo from the circulating air inlet. The condensate after steam-water separation is discharged directly through the drain pipe at the bottom or enters the removable water collection tank at the bottom of the drying chamber. The circulating fan is located at one or more of the following locations: the circulating air inlet, after the cold end fins of the thermoelectric cooler, after the steam-water separator, after the hot end fins of the thermoelectric cooler, or at the circulating air outlet.

[0008] The aforementioned small-scale 3D printing material high-efficiency drying device can be equipped with an adjustment circuit. By controlling the voltage or current of the semiconductor cooling chip, the power of the semiconductor cooling chip can be adjusted, changing the maximum output temperature of the hot end, and thus controlling the temperature of the drying gas fed into the material chamber to meet the drying requirements of different 3D printing materials. The rotation speed of the circulating fan can be controlled by adjusting the current, voltage, or frequency of the circulating fan, thereby controlling the flow rate of the drying gas fed into the material chamber to meet the drying requirements of different 3D printing materials.

[0009] The aforementioned small-scale 3D printing material high-efficiency drying device can have a drying chamber and a material chamber that are integrated, equipped with an openable and closable cover for placing 3D materials and for overall sealing. Alternatively, the drying chamber and material chamber can be separate units: a replaceable material chamber and a separate drying chamber. The material chamber has an openable and closable cover for loading and unloading 3D materials. The circulating air inlet and outlet can be rigid, gasketed, spring-loaded, automatically closing baffles, or soft sealing plugs. The drying chamber can be integrated with the material chamber on the top, side, or bottom.

[0010] Furthermore, considering the limited effectiveness of cold-end condensation and dehydration, in order to further improve drying efficiency, the aforementioned small-scale 3D printing material high-efficiency drying device adds a drying adsorbent module after the gas-water separator. This allows the condensed and coarsely dehydrated cold air to undergo further fine dehydration within the drying adsorbent module before being sent to the hot end of the semiconductor cooling chip for heating and circulation. This further reduces the moisture content of the drying gas and improves drying efficiency. The drying adsorbent can be removed and replaced.

[0011] Furthermore, considering the cost of replacing the desiccant, an adjustable baffle is installed inside the drying chamber. This baffle alters the gas flow path within the drying chamber, allowing for adsorption when the adsorbent reaches saturation. The specific steps are as follows: (1) Empty the material silo or place a separate connecting pipe so that the circulating air inlet and outlet are directly connected without passing through the 3D printing material; (2) Adjust the baffle so that the gas flow path becomes: the humid gas from the circulating air outlet passes through the cold end of the semiconductor cooling chip for condensation, gas-water separation, and the hot end of the semiconductor cooling chip for heating. After obtaining dry hot air, it is sent to the dry adsorbent module for adsorbent regeneration and dehydration. It is discharged from the circulating air outlet to achieve circulation until the adsorbent regeneration and dehydration are completed.

[0012] Therefore, this invention uses internal circulating air as the drying medium, and through condensation coarse dehydration, steam-water separation, adsorbent fine dehydration, and heated circulating air, it provides a highly efficient drying medium for 3D printing materials in the material chamber. Its unique advantages are: 1. It solves the problem that hot air drying is affected by the humidity of the outside air and cannot achieve drying in high humidity environments; 2. Solved the problem of drying being impossible when the printing material's adsorption capacity is higher than that of the drying adsorbent; 3. It solves the problems of low condensation dehydration depth and low drying efficiency in conventional hot air drying and condensation dehydration methods; 4. It solves the problems of conventional hot air drying and condensation dehydration methods, which require both cooling and heating, resulting in high costs, high energy consumption, and a large amount of unusable heat. 5. It solves the cost and environmental problems caused by the need for frequent replacement of adsorbents after they become saturated. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a high-efficiency drying device for 3D printing materials according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the high-efficiency drying device for 3D printing materials according to the present invention after adding a drying adsorbent module; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the process of regenerating the adsorbent by adjusting the baffle in a high-efficiency drying device for 3D printing materials according to this utility model. Figure 4 This is a typical example of a (lateral) split structure for a high-efficiency drying device for 3D printing materials according to this utility model; In the diagram: 1. Material chamber; 11. Chamber cover; 12. Circulating air outlet; 13. Circulating air inlet; 14. 3D printing material support frame; 15. Flexible self-sealing cover; 2. Drying chamber; 21. Semiconductor cooling chip; 22. Cold end fin; 23. Hot end fin; 24. Vapor-water separator; 25. Condensate drain pipe; 25-1. Water collection tank; 26. Circulating fan; 27. Drying adsorbent module; 28. Adjustable baffle; 29. ​​Cover support column; 3. 3D printing material. Detailed Implementation

[0014] This utility model provides a high-efficiency drying device for 3D printing materials. To make the purpose, technical solution, and effects of this utility model clearer and more explicit, the following provides a more detailed description of this utility model. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this utility model and are not intended to limit this utility model. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0015] Example 1: As Figure 1The device shown is a high-efficiency drying device for 3D printing materials, comprising a material chamber 1; a chamber cover 11; a circulating air outlet 12; a circulating air inlet 13; a 3D printing material support frame 14; a drying chamber 2; a semiconductor cooling chip 21; a cold end fin 22; a hot end fin 23; a steam-water separator 24; a condensate drain pipe 25; and a circulating fan 26.

[0016] In this embodiment, the 3D printing material is placed on the 3D printing material support frame 14 in the material chamber 1, with airflow circulation space at the top and bottom. After the chamber cover 11 is closed, the semiconductor cooling chip 21 and the circulating air inlet 13 are turned on, and then circulating air begins to be generated in the device.

[0017] Dry hot air from the drying chamber is sent into the material chamber 1 through the circulating air inlet 13 to dry the 3D printing material 3. The resulting humid gas returns to the drying chamber through the circulating air outlet 12 and is sent to the cold end fins 22 of the semiconductor cooling chip 21 for contact, cooling and condensation. After passing through the vapor-water separator 24, the dehydrated cold air is sent into the hot end fins 23 of the hot zone through the circulating fan 26. After being heated by the hot end of the semiconductor cooling chip, it is called dry gas and is sent back into the material chamber through the circulating air inlet. The condensate after vapor-water separation is discharged directly through the lower condensate drain pipe 25.

[0018] In this embodiment, the circulating fan 26 is not limited to being placed after the steam-water separator 24. Depending on the space arrangement and air volume requirements, it can also be placed at one or more of the following locations: at the circulating air inlet, before or after the cold end fins of the thermoelectric cooler, before or after the hot end fins of the thermoelectric cooler, or at the circulating air outlet. Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the drain pipe 25 can be replaced with a bottom-removable water collection tank 25-1 as needed.

[0019] This embodiment effectively utilizes the hot end of the semiconductor refrigeration chip as a heating source, reducing the equipment complexity of traditional heating drying and condensation dehydration processes. Due to the characteristics of the semiconductor refrigeration chip, a stable temperature difference of 40-70°C can be provided between the cold and hot ends, which not only meets the drying cold and heat source requirements of this utility model, but also eliminates the need for an additional heating source, thus reducing energy consumption.

[0020] Example 2: As Figure 2 As shown, in order to further improve the drying efficiency, this embodiment provides a drying adsorbent module 27 after the steam-water separator 24. This module can be completely disassembled and replaced or only the adsorbent can be replaced. The adsorbent can be a solid adsorbent material with water absorption capacity, such as molecular sieve or silica gel.

[0021] The remaining similar steps are as in Example 1, except that the dehydrated cold air after passing through the steam-water separator 24 is sent to the drying adsorbent module 27 for further deep dehydration, and then sent to the hot end fins 23. The drying hot air that has undergone deep dehydration has a further increased mass transfer rate and the amount of water that the drying hot air can hold due to the difference in moisture content between the drying hot air and the 3D printing material itself, which greatly improves the drying efficiency.

[0022] Unlike traditional desiccants, which can fail to continue drying when their moisture absorption capacity falls below that of the printing material due to competition, this embodiment uses desiccants that absorb moisture from condensed, coarsely dehydrated cold air. This eliminates competition with the printing material, and the low temperature promotes adsorption, resulting in a very dry gas that, upon heating, deeply dehydrates the printing material. Furthermore, the coarse dehydration through condensation ensures that most easily removable moisture is discharged, avoiding the occupation of the desiccant's efficient dehydration capacity and extending its lifespan. This innovative process optimization results in a drying effect far superior to the simple combination of hot air drying and desiccant drying.

[0023] Example 3: As Figure 3 As shown, in order to further reduce the cost of using the drying device of this utility model, an adjustable baffle 28 is added in this embodiment to adjust the gas flow path of the drying chamber and to meet the switching between the normal printing material drying process and the regeneration process of the drying adsorbent module 27.

[0024] The drying process for the printing material is the same as in Example 2, except that the adjustable baffle 28 is located at... Figure 3 At the position indicated by the dashed line (horizontal direction), the dry cold air from the steam-water separator 24 passes sequentially through the dry adsorbent module 27 and the hot end fins 23 before being discharged from the circulating air inlet 13 to the material silo.

[0025] When the dry adsorbent becomes saturated and its water absorption capacity decreases, switch to adsorbent regeneration mode. First, remove the printing material from the material chamber and keep the material chamber sealed. Rotate the adjustable baffle 28 to position... Figure 3 The thick solid line (vertical direction) indicates that the dry, cold air from the gas-water separator 24 is first heated by the hot-end fins 23, and then sent to the drying adsorbent module 27. This allows the adsorbent to be regenerated and moisture removed. The resulting humid gas returns to the drying chamber via the circulating air inlet 13 and circulating air outlet 12, where it is condensed and dehydrated by the cold-end fins, and then recirculated after gas-water separation. Ultimately, this achieves the regeneration and reuse of the drying adsorbent module.

[0026] Example 4: Figure 4As shown, the material chamber 1 and drying chamber 2 of this utility model are not limited to a single, inseparable unit. To further expand the utilization rate of the material chamber 1, that is, to allow it to be used not only for drying but also for storing printing materials, the material chamber 1 and drying chamber 2 can be set up separately, providing multiple material chambers 1 for interchangeable use. To achieve this effect, this embodiment uses... Figure 4 As an example: A rigid, elastic, self-sealing cover 15 with a spring and a sealing gasket is installed at the inlet and outlet of the circulating air in the material chamber 1. When detached from the drying chamber 2, the elastic self-sealing cover 15 will automatically close under the action of the spring, thereby realizing the sealed storage function of the material chamber. At the same time, the circulating air outlet 12 and inlet 13 of the drying chamber 2 are equipped with cover support columns 29. When the drying chamber and the material chamber are connected, they can automatically lift the elastic self-sealing cover 15 to realize the air circulation between the two.

[0027] The elastic self-sealing cover 15 can also be replaced with a soft sealing plug or other sealing components with the same function, and the style of the cover support column 29 can be adjusted or its presence or absence can be made as needed; at the same time, the split mode of this embodiment takes the drying chamber 2 located on the side of the material chamber 1 as an example, and the style of the cover 11 is adjusted. Based on this, the drying chamber can be placed on the top, bottom or connected at other angles of the material chamber, and the connection method is not limited to gravity, magnetic or snap-fit ​​connection. All such adjustments are within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A high-efficiency drying device for 3D printing materials, characterized in that: The device consists of two parts: a material chamber and a drying chamber. The 3D printing material is placed in the material chamber. A circulating air inlet and outlet connect the material chamber and the drying chamber. Drying gas from the drying chamber enters the material chamber through the circulating air inlet to dry the 3D printing material. The dried gas then becomes humid gas and exits through the circulating air outlet back into the drying chamber. After dehydration in the drying chamber, it becomes dry gas again and continues to circulate. The main components of the drying chamber include: a thermoelectric cooler, a vapor-liquid separator, a circulating fan, a power supply, and related control circuitry. The thermoelectric cooler has fins on both its cold and hot ends to isolate the drying chamber. The drying chamber is divided into cold and hot zones. Moist gas from the circulating air outlet first enters the cold zone of the drying chamber, contacts and condenses with the cold end fins of the semiconductor refrigeration chip, and after steam-water separation, it becomes dehydrated cold gas, which then enters the hot zone. After being heated by the hot end of the semiconductor refrigeration chip, it becomes dry gas and is sent into the material silo from the circulating air inlet. The condensate after steam-water separation is discharged directly through the drain pipe at the bottom or enters the removable water collection tank at the bottom of the drying chamber. The circulating fan is located at one or more of the following locations: the circulating air inlet, after the cold end fins of the semiconductor refrigeration chip, after the steam-water separator, after the hot end fins of the semiconductor refrigeration chip, or at the circulating air outlet.

2. The high-efficiency drying device for 3D printing materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: An adjustment circuit is set up to control the voltage or current of the thermoelectric cooler, thereby adjusting the power of the thermoelectric cooler, changing the maximum output temperature of the hot end, and then controlling the temperature of the drying gas sent into the material chamber to meet the drying requirements of different 3D printing materials; the speed of the circulating fan is controlled by adjusting the current, voltage or frequency of the circulating fan, thereby controlling the flow rate of the drying gas sent into the material chamber to meet the drying requirements of different 3D printing materials.

3. The high-efficiency drying device for 3D printing materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drying chamber and material chamber are integrated, with an openable and sealable cover for placing 3D materials and overall sealing.

4. The high-efficiency drying device for 3D printing materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drying chamber and the material chamber are separate units: there is a replaceable material chamber with an openable and sealable cover for taking out and putting in 3D materials; the circulating air inlet and outlet are equipped with rigid, spring-loaded, automatically closing baffles with sealing gaskets, or soft sealing plugs; the drying chamber is set up independently and can be connected to the material chamber on the top, side or bottom for integrated use.

5. The high-efficiency drying device for 3D printing materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: A drying adsorbent module is added after the gas-water separator, so that the condensed and coarsely dehydrated dry cold gas is further dehydrated in the drying adsorbent module, and then sent to the hot end of the semiconductor refrigeration chip for heating and circulation, thereby further reducing the moisture content of the dry gas and improving the drying efficiency; the drying adsorbent can be removed and replaced.

6. The high-efficiency drying device for 3D printing materials according to claim 5, characterized in that: An adjustable baffle is installed inside the drying chamber, allowing the gas flow path within the chamber to be altered. When the adsorbent reaches saturation, regeneration is achieved by changing the gas flow path. The specific steps are as follows: (1) Empty the material silo or place a separate connecting pipe so that the circulating air inlet and outlet are directly connected without passing through the 3D printing material; (2) Adjust the baffle so that the gas flow path becomes: the humid gas from the circulating air outlet passes through the cold end of the semiconductor cooling chip in the cold zone for condensation, gas-water separation, and heating at the hot end of the semiconductor cooling chip to obtain dry hot air, which is then sent to the dry adsorbent module for adsorbent regeneration and dehydration, and discharged from the circulating air outlet to achieve circulation until the adsorbent regeneration and dehydration are completed.

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