3D printing system and control method

Abstract

A 3D printing system and control method are provided, the 3D printing system including a material extrusion device that extrudes molten material to print a current layer, and a preheating device that preheats a layer prior to the current layer before the current layer is printed, to heat the previous layer from a current temperature to a temperature more suitable for fusing with the current layer.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present invention claims priority to a Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on April 13, 2022, bearing application number CN202210384843.0 and titled "3D PRINTING SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD", and also claims priority to a Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on April 13, 2022, bearing application number CN202220850847.9 and titled "3D PRINTING SYSTEM", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of 3D printing, and more particularly to a 3D printing system and control method. [Background technology]

[0003] Material extrusion-based 3D printing technologies, such as fused deposition molding (FDM) technology, realize that the relative motion between a material extrusion device and a molding platform allows the molten material to be printed layer by layer on the molding platform to finally form a 3D printed part.

[0004] The quality of the fusion effect between the current layer printed by the material extrusion device and the previous layer directly affects the performance and accuracy of the 3D printed part. Therefore, how to ensure good fusion between the current printed layer and the previous layer is an important consideration in 3D printing technology. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a 3D printing system that can achieve better fusion between a currently printed layer and the layer before the currently printed layer, improving the performance and accuracy of 3D printed parts.

[0006] In a first aspect, a 3D printing system is provided, the 3D printing system comprising: a material extrusion device for extruding a molten material to print a current layer; a first layer processing system disposed on one side of the material extrusion device and moving in accordance with the movement of the material extrusion device; a second layer processing system disposed on the other side of the material extrusion device and moving in accordance with the movement of the material extrusion device; and a control device connected to the first layer processing system and the second layer processing system. The first layer processing system comprises a first pre-heating device for pre-heating a layer preceding the current layer before printing the current layer; and a first roller device located between the first pre-heating device and the material extrusion device for flattening the current layer after printing of the current layer is completed. The second layer processing system comprises a second pre-heating device for pre-heating a layer preceding the current layer before printing of the current layer; and a second roller device located between the second pre-heating device and the material extrusion device for flattening the current layer after printing of the current layer is completed. The control device controls the first pre-heating device and the second roller device to be in an operative state and controls the second pre-heating device and the first roller device to be in an inoperative state in response to the material extrusion device moving toward a side where the first layer processing system is located, and controls the second pre-heating device and the first roller device to be in an operative state and controls the first pre-heating device and the second roller device to be in an inoperative state in response to the material extrusion device moving toward a side where the second layer processing system is located.

[0007] In a second aspect, a 3D printing system is provided, the 3D printing system comprising: a material extrusion device for extruding material in a molten state to print a current layer, and a pre-heating device for pre-heating a layer prior to the current layer prior to printing the current layer.

[0008] In a third aspect, a 3D printing system is provided, the 3D printing system comprising: a material extrusion device for extruding material in a molten state to print a current layer, and a preheating device for preheating a layer prior to the current layer prior to printing the current layer, to heat the previous layer from a current temperature to a temperature more suitable for fusing with the current layer.

[0009] In a fourth aspect, a control method is provided, the method being applied to a 3D printing system. The 3D printing system includes a material extrusion device for extruding a molten material to print a current layer, a first layer processing system arranged on one side of the material extrusion device and moving in accordance with the movement of the material extrusion device, and a second layer processing system arranged on the other side of the material extrusion device and moving in accordance with the movement of the material extrusion device. The first layer processing system includes a first pre-heating device for pre-heating a layer preceding the current layer before printing the current layer, and a first roller device located between the first pre-heating device and the material extrusion device for flattening the current layer after printing of the current layer is completed. The second layer processing system includes a second pre-heating device for pre-heating a layer preceding the current layer before printing of the current layer, and a second roller device located between the second pre-heating device and the material extrusion device for flattening the current layer after printing of the current layer is completed. The control method includes, in response to the material extrusion device moving toward a side where the first layer processing system is located, controlling the first pre-heating device and the second roller device to be in an activated state and controlling the second pre-heating device and the first roller device to be in an inactivated state, and in response to the material extrusion device moving toward a side where the second layer processing system is located, controlling the second pre-heating device and the first roller device to be in an activated state and controlling the first pre-heating device and the second roller device to be in an inactivated state.

[0010] In a fifth aspect, a method of control is provided, the method including: pre-heating a layer prior to a current layer; and controlling a material extrusion device to extrude material in a molten state to print the current layer after pre-heating the prior layer.

[0011] In a sixth aspect, there is provided a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed, implements a method according to the fourth or fifth aspect.

[0012] In a seventh aspect, there is provided a computer program product, the computer program product comprising executable code which, when executed, is capable of implementing a method according to the fourth or fifth aspect.

[0013] A preheating device is installed to preheat the previous layer before the material extrusion device prints the current layer, allowing the temperature of the previous layer to reach a temperature more suitable for fusing with the current layer, thereby improving the performance and accuracy of the printed part. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a 3D printing system in the related art. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a configuration of a 3D printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of another 3D printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view of the 3D printing system 300 of FIG. [Figure 5a] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of one roller device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5b] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of one roller device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 4 is a schematic flowchart of a control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7]11 is a schematic flowchart of another control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, but not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0016] Embodiments of the present invention provide a 3D printing system and control method that can improve the performance and accuracy of 3D printed parts.

[0017] The technical solutions of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments. In order to more clearly explain the 3D printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the configuration of a 3D printing system in the related art will first be described.

[0018] 1, which is a schematic diagram of a related art 3D printing system 100. The 3D printing system 100 generally includes a molding platform 110 and a material extrusion device 120.

[0019] The material extrusion device 120, also referred to as a print head in some scenes, extrudes molten material onto the molding platform 110, and through relative movement with the molding platform 110, achieves layer-by-layer printing on the molding platform 110, ultimately forming the 3D printed part.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, when the material extrusion device 120 moves along the printing direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1, the newly extruded material forms a current printing layer 112 on the molding platform 110. The current printing layer 112 needs to fuse with its previous printing layer 111. When actually printing, if the fusion effect between the current printing layer 112 and the previous printing layer 111 is not good, it will directly affect the final molding performance and accuracy of the 3D printed part. For example, the previous printing layer 111 has a lower temperature after being printed, but the newly extruded molten material generally has a very high temperature, resulting in a large temperature difference between the two layers that need to be fused, which affects the fusion effect, and thus affects the performance and accuracy of the printed part.

[0021] Therefore, how to achieve better fusion between the current printed layer and the previous layer to improve the performance and accuracy of 3D printed parts is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0022] In view of this, the 3D printing system of the present invention adds a preheating device to quickly preheat the surface of the layer before the current layer before printing the current layer, thereby heating the previous layer to a temperature that can better bond with the newly extruded molten material, thereby improving the performance and accuracy of 3D printing.

[0023] Hereinafter, a 3D printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0024] 2, which is a schematic diagram of a 3D printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The 3D printing system 200 includes a molding platform 110, a material extrusion device 120, and a pre-heating device 210.

[0025] The pre-heating device 210 is configured to perform a pre-heating treatment on the layer 111 preceding the current layer before the material extrusion device 120 prints the current layer 112 .

[0026] Optionally, the pre-heating device 210 pre-heats the previous layer includes heating the previous layer from a current temperature to a first temperature that is more suitable for fusing with the current layer. The first temperature may be higher than the temperature of the molding chamber in which the 3D printing system is located, but lower than the temperature of the molten material in the material extrusion device. Assuming that the temperature at which the material transforms from a solid state to a molten state is the second temperature, the first temperature is set to be higher than the temperature of the molding chamber in which the 3D printing system is located and lower than the second temperature. This can avoid damage to the already formed shape of the previous layer. As an example, the previous layer can be heated to an optimal bonding temperature between the previous layer and the current layer. This optimal bonding temperature is related to the properties of the material and can be obtained by experiment or experience.

[0027] In one embodiment, the pre-heating device 210 can pre-heat the area to be printed. For example, the pre-heating device 210 can pre-heat the area in front of the extrusion port of the material extrusion device 120.

[0028] In some embodiments, the pre-heating device 210 may be located (or fixed) to one side of the material extrusion device 120. In other embodiments, the pre-heating device 210 may be separate from the material extrusion device 120, and when the pre-heating device 210 is needed, the pre-heating device 210 is moved in front of the material extrusion device 120 in the printing direction.

[0029] Optionally, the number of preheating devices 120 may be one or more. In one embodiment, the preheating device 210 may be disposed only on one side of the material extrusion device 120. In another embodiment, two sets of preheating devices 210 may be included, and the two sets of preheating devices may be disposed on both sides of the material extrusion device 120. For example, the two sets of preheating devices may be disposed on the moving direction side (i.e., the front side in the moving direction) and the opposite side in the moving direction (i.e., the rear side in the moving direction) of the material extrusion device 120, respectively. When the material extrusion device moves, the preheating device disposed on the moving direction side is in an operating state, and performs a preheating process on the surface of the layer one layer before the current printing layer, and quickly heats the surface of the layer one layer before the current printing layer to the above-mentioned first temperature so that the molten material extruded by the material extrusion device can be well fused with the previous layer. The preheating device disposed on the opposite side in the moving direction may be in an inactive state.

[0030] In this way, the two sets of preheating devices can switch their operating states with the change in the moving direction of the material extrusion device, ensuring that preheating treatment is performed on the layer preceding the current printing layer, while not affecting the printing effect of the current printing layer.

[0031] Optionally, the active pre-heating device may be located in close proximity to the current printing layer, and the inactive pre-heating device may be located away from the current printing layer.

[0032] Specifically, the preheating device in the operating state can be lowered to a preset height so that the preheating device in the operating state can perform a rapid preheating process on the layer preceding the current printing layer. As an example, the bottom surface of the preheating device in the operating state and the bottom surface of the material extrusion device can be maintained to have a predetermined height difference (height difference is δ, for example δ=0.1 mm). For example, the bottom surface of the preheating device in the operating state can be set slightly higher than the bottom surface of the material extrusion device by δ, and at this time, the distance between the preheating device in the operating state and the surface of the preceding printing layer is the sum of the printing thickness and the height difference (δ). In this way, it is possible to prevent the preheating device in the operating state from interfering with the non-communicating area of ​​the newly printed printing layer to affect the printing effect and printing accuracy. At the same time, it is ensured that the preheating device can quickly raise the temperature of the surface to be printed to a first temperature suitable for fusing with the new printing layer.

[0033] On the other hand, the preheating device in an inactive state can be raised to a preset height (e.g., 10 mm), thereby reducing the intensity of the preheating device's convective and diffusive heat exchange with the new printed layer and reducing the preheating device's impact on the performance and accuracy of the new printed layer.

[0034] Alternatively, the pre-heating device can be heated by a contact heating method. As an example, the pre-heating device can be heated by a pre-embedded heating wire method. By pre-embedding a resistance wire, the entire cast aluminum block becomes one heating body and constitutes one pre-heating device. As another example, the pre-heating device can be heated by a heating medium. For example, a circulation flow path is provided in the pre-heating device, and a heat circulation medium such as circulating oil is introduced into the circulation flow path, thereby realizing temperature control of the pre-heating device.

[0035] Alternatively, the preheating device may be heated by a non-contact heating method. For example, an infrared heating device is provided to heat the preheating device by an infrared heating method, thereby performing a preheating process on the layer immediately preceding the current printing layer. Of course, an infrared non-contact heating device may be directly installed as the preheating device, and the infrared heating device is used to directly perform a preheating process on the previous layer. Other methods for directly preheating the previous layer by non-contact heating include, for example, microwave heating, laser heating, etc. The present invention does not limit the heating method of the preheating device or the heating method of the current layer.

[0036] Optionally, when the preheating device is in operation, the maximum temperature of its surface may reach 350°C.

[0037] Optionally, the dimensions of the preheating device may be set to, for example, 32 mm (width) x 100 mm (length) x 50 mm (height), with the width direction of the preheating device being parallel to the length direction of the material extrusion device. Optionally, the leading and trailing edges of the preheater may be radiused.

[0038] In some application scenarios, the molten material newly extruded by the material extrusion device has a high temperature, which is prone to sagging, which may reduce the accuracy of the printed part (such as the dimensional accuracy of the contour edge of the printed part). In addition, if the temperature of the current printing layer immediately after printing is too high, the material is in a softened state and is easily deformed under its own weight, which affects the accuracy of the printed part. In addition, the printing layer immediately after printing still has a high temperature, so a new printing layer cannot be built on it unless it is cooled to an appropriate temperature. In the case of natural cooling, the printing of a new layer cannot be performed quickly, and the construction of a new printing layer cannot be advanced unless it is cooled to an appropriate temperature, so the efficiency of the printing member is greatly affected.

[0039] In view of this, the 3D printing system according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a cooling device. Still referring to FIG. 2, the cooling device 220 is configured to perform temperature control on the current layer after the material extrusion device 120 completes printing of the current layer. For example, the cooling device 220 performs a temperature reduction process on the current layer. For example, the cooling device 220 can reduce the temperature of the current printing layer to a temperature that can be maintained so that the current printing layer is not easily deformed.

[0040] During actual printing, the temperature of the current printing layer must not be too low. If the temperature is too low, large internal stress will be generated and the printed part will be easily deformed. Therefore, the cooling device can control the temperature of the current printing layer so that it is not so low that it will cause deformation of the printed part.

[0041] In some embodiments, the cooling device 220 may be located (or fixed) to one side of the material extrusion device 120. In other embodiments, the cooling device 220 may be separate from the material extrusion device 120, and the cooling device 220 may be moved to the rear of the material extrusion device 120 in the printing direction, if needed.

[0042] Optionally, the number of cooling devices 220 may be one or more. In one embodiment, the cooling devices 220 may be disposed on only one side of the material extrusion device 120.

[0043] As another embodiment, two sets of cooling devices 220 may be included, and the two sets of cooling devices may be disposed on both sides of the material extrusion device. For example, the two sets of cooling and pre-heating devices may be disposed on the moving direction side (i.e., the front side in the moving direction) and the opposite side in the moving direction (i.e., the rear side in the moving direction) of the material extrusion device 120, respectively. When the material extrusion device moves, the cooling device disposed on the opposite side in the moving direction (the rear side in the moving direction) is in an operating state and performs a cooling process on the molten material that has just been extruded by the material extrusion device 120. The cooling device disposed on the moving direction side (the front side in the moving direction) may be in an inoperable state.

[0044] In this way, the two sets of cooling devices can switch their operating states according to the change in the moving direction of the material extrusion device, ensuring the cooling process for the new printing layer while not affecting other layers.

[0045] As an example, the 3D printing system can further include a planarization device configured to planarize the current layer when printing of the current layer is completed, such that the current layer is flat, thereby improving forming accuracy.

[0046] In some embodiments, the flattening device may be located (or fixed) to one side of the material extrusion device 120. In other embodiments, the flattening device may be located separately from the material extrusion device 120, and when the flattening device is needed, the flattening device is moved behind the material extrusion device 120 in the printing direction.

[0047] Optionally, the number of the planarizing devices may be one or more.

[0048] In one embodiment, the flattening device may include a cooling device, which can realize flattening and cooling processes for the current layer after the material extrusion device completes printing the current layer, thus effectively saving the space of the 3D printing system and the design and manufacturing costs.

[0049] In another embodiment, the flattening device further comprises a roller device. In one embodiment, the roller device flattens the current printed layer by directly contacting the current printed layer. At the same time, the roller device reduces the temperature of the current printed layer of the printing part by absorbing heat from the newly extruded material, thereby rapidly cooling the current printed layer to an appropriate temperature.

[0050] 3 is a schematic diagram of another 3D printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The 3D printing system 300 in FIG. 3 includes a material extrusion device 120, a first layer processing system 310, and a second layer processing system 320.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3, the first layer processing system 310 is disposed on one side of the material extrusion device 120 and moves following the movement of the material extrusion device 120 .

[0052] Optionally, the first layer processing system 310 includes a first pre-heating device 311 and a first roller device 312. The first pre-heating device 311 is used to pre-heat the layer preceding the current layer before the current layer is printed. The first pre-heating device may be the pre-heating device 210 of FIG. 3. The first roller device 312 is located between the first pre-heating device 311 and the material extrusion device 120 and is used to flatten the current layer after the current layer is printed.

[0053] The second processing layer system 320 is disposed on the other side of the material extrusion device 120 and moves according to the movement of the material extrusion device 120. Optionally, the second layer processing system 320 includes a second pre-heating device 322 and a second roller device 321. The second pre-heating device 322 is used to pre-heat the layer preceding the current layer before the current layer is printed. The second pre-heating device may be the pre-heating device 210 in FIG. 3. The second roller device 321 is located between the second pre-heating device 322 and the material extrusion device 120 and is used to flatten the current printing layer after the current printing layer is printed.

[0054] Optionally, the 3D printing system 300 further includes a control device. The control device can be connected to the first layer processing system 310 and the second layer processing system 310, for example. When the material extrusion device 120 moves toward the side where the first layer processing system 310 is located (i.e., the printing direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3), the control device controls the first pre-heating device 311 and the second roller device 321 to be in an active state, and controls the second pre-heating device 322 and the first roller device 312 to be in an inactive state. Similarly, when the material extrusion device 120 moves toward the side where the second layer processing system 320 is located (i.e., the opposite direction to the printing direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3), the control device controls the second pre-heating device 322 and the first roller device 312 to be in an active state, and controls the first pre-heating device 311 and the second roller device 321 to be in an inactive state.

[0055] Optionally, the bottom surface of the roller device in the working state may be at the same height as the bottom surface of the material extrusion device 120. Still referring to Fig. 3, when the material extrusion device 120 moves along the direction indicated by the arrow, the roller device 321 is in the working state, and when the bottom surface of the roller device 321 is at the same height as the material extrusion device 120, the roller device 321 can better realize processes such as rolling, ironing, and temperature control of the new printing layer.

[0056] Alternatively, the roller device can realize temperature control of the current printing layer by contact-type means. As an example, the temperature of the roller can be controlled by using a roller self-heating method. For example, a heating resistance wire is installed inside the roller, and the temperature of the roller is directly controlled by the resistance wire. When the temperature of the roller is lower than a preset temperature, the roller can be directly heated by the resistance wire, and when the temperature of the roller is high, the heating is stopped and the roller cools down by thermal radiation. As a means for roller self-heating, a circulating medium method can be adopted. For example, a circulation flow path is provided inside the roller, and the temperature of the roller is controlled by the circulating medium. The circulating medium can be circulating oil, gas, etc.

[0057] Alternatively, the roller device may achieve temperature control in a non-contact manner, such as infrared heating, etc. The present invention does not limit the temperature control method of the roller device.

[0058] In one embodiment, the first roller device and / or the second roller device is further provided with a cooling device, the cooling device being configured to cool the current layer after the current layer has been printed.

[0059] In the 3D printing system according to the present invention, temperature control of the surface material of the printed part can be achieved, for example, by the preheating device and roller device described above, although the functions of the two are different.

[0060] Specifically, the preheating device preheats the layer prior to the current printing layer, quickly heating a localized thin layer on the surface of the previous layer to a relatively high temperature that is more suitable for bonding with the newly extruded material, while having a negligible effect on the temperature of the entire printed part.

[0061] The roller device performs a rapid temperature reduction process on the current printing layer (or a new layer already printed). The temperature of the newly extruded material is very high and prone to sagging, which affects the dimensional accuracy of the contour edge of the printed part. The roller device has a predetermined temperature and a large heat capacity for the material of the current printing layer, so that the newly extruded material can be quickly reduced to a temperature at which it is less likely to sag, which makes it easier to achieve highly accurate deposition. The roller device can also cooperate with other temperature control means in the printing chamber to maintain the entire printed part at an appropriate temperature at which it is less likely to deform. If the temperature of the printed part of the part is too high, the material is still in a soft state and is prone to deformation under its own weight. On the other hand, if the temperature is too low, large internal stress is likely to occur, and the part will be deformed. The roller device absorbs the heat amount of the newly extruded material by direct contact to reduce the heat accumulation of the printing member, thereby preventing the temperature rise of the printing part from being too high. At the same time, the roller device can be further provided with a heating device, thereby preventing the temperature of the printing member from being too low. The roller also has a function such as ironing for the current printing layer.

[0062] As an example, the 3D printing system may further include a lifting mechanism, which may be connected to the first pre-heating device 311 and the second pre-heating device 322.

[0063] Optionally, when the material extrusion device 120 moves toward the side where the first layer processing system 310 is located, the lifting mechanism moves the first pre-heating device 311 to a position closer to the previous printed layer than the second pre-heating device 322. In this way, the first pre-heating device 311 realizes quick pre-heating of the previous printed layer, and the second pre-heating device 322 does not affect the surface of the new printed layer.

[0064] Similarly, when the material extrusion device 120 moves toward the side where the second layer processing system 320 is located, the lifting mechanism moves the second pre-heating device 322 to a position closer to the printed layer than the first pre-heating device 311.

[0065] Fig. 4 is a side view of a pre-heating device and a roller device in the 3D printing system 300 in Fig. 3. The device 400 in Fig. 4 may include a pre-heating device 410, a roller device 420, and a lifting mechanism 430. Here, the pre-heating device 410 may be the first pre-heating device 311 or the second pre-heating device 322 in Fig. 3. The roller device 420 may be the first roller device 311 or the second roller device 321 corresponding to the pre-heating device.

[0066] Optionally, at least one pair of devices 400 may be provided on each side of the material extrusion device.

[0067] When the pre-heating device 410 is in an operating state, the lifting mechanism 430 lowers the pre-heating device 410 to a preset height, so that the pre-heating device 410 can better pre-heat the material surface of the previous layer. At the same time, the lifting mechanism 430 moves the roller device 420, which is in an inoperable state, to a predetermined position so that the bottom surface of the roller device 420 is higher than the bottom surface of the pre-heating device 410, thereby maintaining a suitable height difference between the two, thereby preventing mutual interference between the pre-heating device 410 and the roller device 420.

[0068] Alternatively, the preheating device 410 and the roller device 420 may each be provided with a separate lifting mechanism, but the present invention is not limited to this. The lifting device may be any device that can adjust the positions of the preheating device 410 and the roller device 420 so that they do not interfere with each other during the work process.

[0069] Optionally, the upper part of the pre-heating device 410 may be connected to the lifting mechanism 430 through a heat insulating device 440. The heat insulating device 440 may be, for example, a heat insulating pad. The heat insulating device 440 can avoid the heat dissipation effect of the heat amount of the pre-heating device 410 on the lifting mechanism 430, and ensure the stability of the upgraded mechanical structure.

[0070] 5 is a structural diagram of a roller device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the roller device may include a roller 510, a heating device 520 and a heat dissipation device 530.

[0071] The roller device 500 is used to perform rolling and temperature control on the current printing layer immediately after it is printed. Rolling can flatten the new printing layer, so as to better bond with the layer to be printed, and can better control the thickness of the printing layer to ensure forming accuracy. The roller device 500 is configured to adjust the temperature of the material of the current printing layer and quickly cool the current printing layer to a preset temperature, improving printing efficiency.

[0072] In one embodiment, the roller 510 may be embedded in, for example, a metal bracket, and the material of the roller 510 may have a relatively high specific heat and thermal conductivity, so that the roller 510 can achieve rapid temperature adjustment by radiation of the metal bracket. Then, after the roller 510 flattens the current printing layer, it absorbs the heat from the current printing layer and then transfers the heat to the outside, so that the temperature of the roller 510 is not high, and therefore the material properties of the current printing layer are not destroyed.

[0073] The heating device 520 may be, for example, a heating rod or a heating block, etc. The heating device 520 may be, for example, attached to the mounting bracket of the roller 510 to control the temperature of the metal bracket. After the metal bracket reaches a predetermined temperature, it realizes temperature control for the roller 510 by heat radiation.

[0074] The heat dissipation device 530 may be, for example, a heat sink such as a heat dissipation fin. The heat dissipation device 530 may be, for example, attached to the mounting bracket of the roller 510. When the temperature of the roller 510 is high, the heat dissipation device 530 can release excess heat, thereby preventing the temperature of the metal bracket and the roller 510 from being too high and affecting the current printing layer.

[0075] Optionally, the roller device 500 may further include a material scraping plate 540, which may be installed, for example, at the bottom of a metal bracket. The material scraping end of the material scraping plate 540 contacts the surface of the roller 510 but does not affect its rotation. The material scraping plate 540 is configured to scrape off the material on the surface of the roller 510, so as to prevent the material of the printing layer from sticking to the roller 510 and affecting the printing effect and printing accuracy of the printing layer.

[0076] In one embodiment, the material of the material scraper plate 540 may include, for example, polytetrafluoroethylene. In another embodiment, a constant height difference may be maintained between the bottom surface of the material scraper plate 540 and the bottom surface of the roller, for example, 1 mm, to minimize the effect of the material scraper plate 540 on the new printed layer.

[0077] Optionally, the roller device 500 further includes a brush 550, the brush end of which contacts the surface of the roller 510 but does not affect its rotation. The other end of the brush 550 is connected to a release agent and is used to slowly and lightly apply the release agent to the surface of the roller 510, so that the surface of the roller 510 can maintain a non-wetting state between the roller 510 and the printing material and prevent adhesion to the material. The brush 550 may be, for example, a soft brush.

[0078] In some application scenarios, the surface of the roller 510 may be knurled. On the one hand, the surface area of ​​the roller 510 can be increased. On the other hand, the micro-roughening can improve the adhesion between the printed material layers. Moreover, the anisotropy of the material can also be improved by rolling with such micro-roughness, which can improve the performance of the printed part.

[0079] Optionally, the material of roller 510 may be non-wetting with respect to the printing material, thereby preventing adhesion of the material and damage to the printing layer.

[0080] Optionally, the 3D printing system may further include a temperature control device. For example, the temperature control device may be fixed in the same frame, e.g., a rigid frame, as the material extrusion device, and used to precisely control the temperature of the relative positions of each device. Here, thermal insulation is required between each device.

[0081] It should be noted that the 3D printing system according to the present invention may refer to a complete system capable of realizing the 3D printing function, or may refer to a member or assembly in a complete system. In some embodiments, the above-mentioned preheating device and cooling device (or flattening device) can both be incorporated on both sides of the 3D print head (material extrusion device) and move following the movement of the 3D print head. In this case, the 3D printing system according to the embodiment of the present invention can be understood as a 3D print head assembly or a 3D print head system.

[0082] 6 is a schematic flowchart of a control method for a 3D printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method 600 shown in FIG 6 can be performed, for example, by the 3D printing system 200 shown in FIG 2. The method 600 includes steps S610 and S620.

[0083] In step S610, the layer before the current layer is preheated.

[0084] In step S620, after preheating the previous layer, the material extrusion device is controlled to extrude molten material to print the current layer.

[0085] In some embodiments, after printing of the current layer is completed, the current layer is cooled.

[0086] In some embodiments, the current layer is planarized after printing of the current layer is completed so that the current layer is flat.

[0087] 7 is a schematic flow chart of another control method for a 3D printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method 700 shown in FIG. 7 can be performed, for example, by the 3D printing system 300 shown in FIG. 3. The 3D printing system includes: a material extrusion device for extruding material in a molten state to print a current layer; a first layer treatment system disposed on one side of the material extrusion device and moving in accordance with the movement of the material extrusion device; and a second layer processing system disposed on the other side of the material extrusion device and adapted to move in accordance with the movement of the material extrusion device.

[0088] The first layer treatment system comprises: a first preheating device for preheating a layer preceding a current layer before printing the current layer; a first roller device located between the first pre-heating device and the material extrusion device for flattening a current layer after printing of the current layer is completed.

[0089] The second layer processing system comprises: a second preheating device for preheating a layer preceding a current layer before printing the current layer; and a second roller device located between the second pre-heating device and the material extrusion device for flattening the current layer after printing of the current layer is completed.

[0090] The method 700 includes steps S710 and S720. Specifically, In step S710, in response to the material extrusion device moving toward the side where the first layer processing system is located, the first pre-heating device and the second roller device are controlled to be in an activated state, and the second pre-heating device and the first roller device are controlled to be in an inactivated state.

[0091] In step S720, in response to the material extrusion device moving toward the side where the second layer processing system is located, the second pre-heating device and the first roller device are controlled to be in an active state, and the first pre-heating device and the second roller device are controlled to be in an inactive state.

[0092] The above-described embodiments may be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any other combination. When implemented using software, the embodiment may be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. The process or function described in the embodiments of the present invention is generated in whole or in part when the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another, for example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, radio, microwave, etc.) manner. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer, or a data storage device including a server, data center incorporating one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., a digital video disc (DVD)), or a semi-conductive medium (e.g., a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0093] Those skilled in the art may recognize that the units and algorithm steps of various examples described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in a hardware or software manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art may use different methods for each specific application to realize the described functions, but such realization should not be considered as going beyond the scope of the present disclosure.

[0094] It should be understood that in some embodiments provided by the present invention, the disclosed system, device, and method may be realized by other means. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely exemplary, and the division of the units is merely a logical function division, and may have other division methods when actually realized, for example, multiple units or assemblies may be combined or incorporated into other systems, or some features may be ignored or not implemented. In addition, the couplings or direct couplings or communication connections between the shown or discussed mutually may be indirect couplings or communication connections via multiple interfaces, devices or units, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0095] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units. It may be located in one place or distributed among multiple network units. It may be selected based on actual requirements to achieve the objectives of the solutions in the embodiments of the present application.

[0096] Furthermore, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present invention may be integrated into a single processing unit, each unit may exist physically alone, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit.

[0097] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto, and any changes or replacements that a person skilled in the art can easily think of within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is subject to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. a material extrusion device configured to extrude material in a molten state to print a current layer; and a pre-heating device configured to pre-heat a layer preceding the current layer before the current layer is printed. A 3D printing system comprising:

2. and a cooling device configured to cool the current layer after printing of the current layer is completed.

2. The 3D printing system of claim 1 .

3. Further comprising a flattening device, The planarization device is configured to planarize the current layer after printing of the current layer is completed, such that the current layer is planar.

2. The 3D printing system of claim 1 .

4. The planarization apparatus includes a cooling apparatus configured to cool the current layer after printing of the current layer is completed.

4. The 3D printing system of claim 3.

5. The flattening device comprises a roller device.

4. The 3D printing system of claim 3.

6. The roller device further comprises a material scraping plate; The material scraping edge of the material scraping plate contacts the roller surface of the roller device so as to scrape off the material from the roller surface.

6. The 3D printing system of claim 5.

7. The roller device further comprises a brush; The brush end of the brush contacts the roller surface of the roller device so as to apply a release agent to the roller surface.

7. The 3D printing system of claim 6.

8. a material extrusion device configured to extrude material in a molten state to print a current layer; a first layer processing system disposed on one side of the material extrusion device and moving in accordance with the movement of the material extrusion device; a second layer processing system disposed on the other side of the material extrusion device and adapted to move in accordance with the movement of the material extrusion device; a controller connected to the first bed processing system and the second bed processing system; The first layer processing system comprises: a first pre-heating device configured to pre-heat a layer preceding the current layer before the current layer is printed; a first roller device located between the first pre-heating device and the material extrusion device and configured to flatten the current layer after printing of the current layer is completed; The second layer processing system comprises: a second pre-heating device configured to pre-heat a layer preceding the current layer before the current layer is printed; a second roller device located between the second pre-heating device and the material extrusion device and configured to flatten the current layer after printing of the current layer is completed; The control device includes: in response to the material extrusion device moving toward a side where the first layer processing system is located, controlling the first pre-heating device and the second roller device to be in an active state and controlling the second pre-heating device and the first roller device to be in an inactive state; and in response to the material extrusion device moving toward a side where the second layer processing system is located, controlling the second pre-heating device and the first roller device to be in an active state and controlling the first pre-heating device and the second roller device to be in an inactive state. A 3D printing system comprising:

9. a cooling device is further disposed on the first roller device and / or the second roller device; The cooling device is configured to cool the current layer after printing of the current layer is completed.

9. The 3D printing system of claim 8.

10. Further comprising a lifting mechanism connected to the first pre-heating device and the second pre-heating device, The control device further comprises: in response to the material extrusion device moving toward a side where the first layer processing system is located, controlling the lifting mechanism so that the first pre-heating device is located at a position where a distance to the previous layer is shorter than a distance to the previous layer of the second pre-heating device; In response to the material extrusion device moving toward a side where the second layer processing system is located, the lifting mechanism is controlled so that the second pre-heating device is located at a position where a distance to the previous layer is shorter than a distance to the previous layer of the first pre-heating device.

9. The 3D printing system of claim 8.

11. a material extrusion device configured to extrude material in a molten state to print a current layer; a preheating device configured to preheat a layer preceding the current layer before the current layer is printed, to heat the previous layer from a current temperature to a temperature more suitable for fusing with the current layer. A 3D printing system comprising:

12. 1. A control method for use in a three-dimensional printing system, comprising: The 3D printing system includes: a material extrusion device configured to extrude material in a molten state to print a current layer; a first layer processing system disposed on one side of the material extrusion device and moving in accordance with the movement of the material extrusion device; a second layer processing system disposed on the other side of the material extrusion device and adapted to move in accordance with the movement of the material extrusion device; The first layer processing system comprises: a first pre-heating device configured to pre-heat a layer preceding the current layer before the current layer is printed; a first roller device located between the first pre-heating device and the material extrusion device and configured to flatten the current layer after printing of the current layer is completed; The second layer processing system comprises: a second pre-heating device configured to pre-heat a layer preceding the current layer before the current layer is printed; a second roller device located between the second pre-heating device and the material extrusion device and configured to flatten the current layer after printing of the current layer is completed; The control method includes: in response to the material extrusion device moving toward a side where the first layer processing system is located, controlling the first pre-heating device and the second roller device to be in an active state and controlling the second pre-heating device and the first roller device to be in an inactive state; and in response to the material extrusion device moving toward a side where the second layer processing system is located, controlling the second pre-heating device and the first roller device to be in an active state and controlling the first pre-heating device and the second roller device to be in an inactive state. A control method comprising:

13. preheating a layer prior to a current layer; and controlling a material extrusion device to extrude molten material to print the current layer after preheating the previous layer. A control method comprising:

14. and cooling the current layer after printing of the current layer is completed.

14. The control method according to claim 13,

15. and planarizing the current layer after printing of the current layer is completed, such that the current layer is planar.

14. The control method according to claim 13,

Images