Extruder capable of heterogeneous material blending extrusion

Abstract

The present invention provides an extruder capable of heterogeneous material blending extrusion. The extruder capable of heterogeneous material blending extrusion according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided in a 3D printer and is configured to melt and discharge materials. The extruder includes: a hopper into which the materials are fed; a transfer unit through which the materials supplied through the hopper are melted and moved; and an output unit, one side of which is connected to one end of the transfer unit and through which the materials are discharged.

Description

Extruder capable of extruding heterogeneous materials

[0001] The present invention relates to an extruder capable of extruding a blend of different materials, and more specifically, to an extruder capable of extruding a blend of different materials, which can improve output safety by mixing and extruding different materials.

[0002] In general, a 3D printer is a device that creates three-dimensional objects using materials. It uses a technology that creates three-dimensional objects by layering special materials, similar to printing. Because 3D printers can produce complex shapes that are difficult to produce through cutting, they are currently being applied in a variety of fields.

[0003] Recently, metal 3D printing technology has been attracting attention for its environmentally friendly and economical advantages, as it produces almost no material waste.

[0004] These 3D printers can be divided into general 3D printing technology that produces products using polymer materials in liquid or powder form, and metal 3D printing technology that produces products using metal materials as a heat source such as an arc or laser. The product forming methods of 3D printers include a method that forms an object by injecting a laser beam into a photocurable material (SLA), a method that forms by cutting a forming material, and a method that melts and layers a thermoplastic material (FDM).

[0005] Among these, FDM 3D printers, which melt and layer thermoplastic materials, are becoming more popular for home and industrial use due to their lower production cost compared to other types of 3D printers.

[0006] The process of melting and extruding thermoplastic materials to create three-dimensional structures is accomplished by the extruder of a 3D printer. Conventional extruders widely use filament as their output material. Filament is made by melting pellets, small granular raw materials, and processing them into a thread-like shape. Recently, devices that utilize pellets for printing have become available.

[0007] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1672757 discloses a raw material extrusion device for a 3D printer and a 3D printer using the same.

[0008] The prior art is configured to ensure the fluidity of mixed powders of different materials, such as mixed powders of ceramics and resins, and to enable them to be discharged at a uniform pressure.

[0009] However, the conventional technology has problems such as difficulty in controlling the temperature of the material, difficulty in smoothly mixing different materials, and the material solidifying during the discharging process, which causes the process to be interrupted.

[0010] The present invention relates to a technology developed by the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation of Changwon National University through the research project "Development of Eco-Friendly Flame-Retardant Hybrid Composite Technology (New Materials Research Center)" funded by the Ministry of Education (Project Unique Number: 1345280847, Project Number: 2018R1A6A1A03024509, Research Period: 2018.06.01 ~ 2027.02.28).

[0011] One embodiment of the present invention aims to provide an extruder capable of heterogeneous material blending extrusion, which can overcome the problems of the above-mentioned prior art, facilitates heterogeneous material mixing and temperature control, and prevents the material from solidifying during the extrusion process, thereby improving the efficiency of the 3D printing process.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, an extruder capable of extruding blended heterogeneous materials by melting and discharging materials, which is provided in a 3D printer, comprises: a hopper into which the material is fed; a conveying portion through which the material supplied through the hopper is melted and moved; and an output portion through which one end of the conveying portion is connected to one side portion and the material is discharged.

[0013] The above-mentioned transport unit includes: a first barrel in the shape of a hollow tube; a first screw provided inside the first barrel; and a first motor provided at one end of the first barrel to rotate the first screw.

[0014] The first screw includes a first main body portion having a cylindrical shape; and a first spiral portion formed in a spiral shape protruding from an outer surface along the longitudinal direction of the first main body portion.

[0015] The output section includes a second barrel having a hollow tube shape; a second screw provided inside the second barrel to transport the material; a second motor provided at one end of the second barrel to rotate the second screw; a first heating device provided at the second barrel to heat the material inside the first barrel and the second barrel; a cooling fan provided at a portion of the second barrel to cool the heated material; a nozzle provided at the other end of the second barrel to output the material; and a second heating device provided at a portion of the second barrel to heat the nozzle.

[0016] The second screw includes a second main body portion having a cylindrical shape; and a second spiral portion formed in a spiral shape protruding from an outer surface along the longitudinal direction of the second main body portion.

[0017] It further includes a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the first heating device; and a second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the second heating device.

[0018] The above transport section is connected to the output section in an inclined state.

[0019] It further includes a control unit that controls the operation of an extruder capable of extruding the above heterogeneous materials.

[0020] The extruder capable of extruding heterogeneous materials according to the present invention has the following effects.

[0021] First, temperature control of heterogeneous materials is convenient.

[0022] Second, it can improve process efficiency by preventing hardening during the extrusion process.

[0023] Third, mixing of different materials is achieved smoothly.

[0024] Fourth, the process time can be significantly shortened.

[0025] Fifth, 3D printing can be performed regardless of the worker's skill level.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an extruder capable of extruding heterogeneous materials blending according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of an extruder capable of extruding heterogeneous materials blending according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Specific structural or functional descriptions of embodiments according to the concept of the present invention disclosed in this specification are merely illustrative for the purpose of explaining embodiments according to the concept of the present invention, and embodiments according to the concept of the present invention may be implemented in various forms and are not limited to the embodiments described in this specification.

[0029] Embodiments according to the concept of the present invention may have various modifications and take various forms, and thus, embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in this specification. However, this is not intended to limit embodiments according to the concept of the present invention to specific disclosed forms, but rather includes modifications, equivalents, or alternatives that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an extruder capable of extruding a blend of different materials according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of an extruder capable of extruding a blend of different materials according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 together, an extruder (100) capable of extruding heterogeneous materials according to one embodiment of the present invention is an extruder capable of extruding heterogeneous materials by melting and discharging materials and is equipped in a 3D printer, and is configured to include a hopper (110), a conveying unit (120), and an output unit (130).

[0032] The hopper (110) has a hollow cylindrical shape and the material to be 3D printed is fed into the internal space from the rear end.

[0033] The user inputs heterogeneous materials into the hopper (110) at a set ratio.

[0034] It is preferable that the hopper (110) be horizontally spaced apart from the output section (130) and that one end of the hopper be connected to the transfer section (120).

[0035] The transport unit (120) melts and moves the pellet material to be 3D printed by supplying it through the hopper (110).

[0036] The transfer unit (120) is connected to the output unit (130) in an inclined state, but the angle formed by the rear portion of the transfer unit (120) and the output unit (130) is preferably an acute angle.

[0037] According to the present invention, the transfer unit (120) is configured to include a first barrel (121), a first screw (122), and a first motor (123).

[0038] The first barrel (121) has a hollow tube shape and one end is connected to one side of the output section (130).

[0039] The first screw (122) is provided inside the first barrel (121) to transport the material.

[0040] The first screw (122) is configured to include a first main body part (122-1) having a cylindrical shape and a first spiral part (122-2) that protrudes in a spiral shape on the outer surface along the longitudinal direction of the first main body part (122-1).

[0041] The first motor (123) is provided at one end of the first barrel (121) and rotates the first screw (122).

[0042] The output section (130) is connected to one side of the transfer section (120) so that the molten material is discharged and output.

[0043] According to the present invention, the output unit (130) is configured to include a second barrel (131), a second screw (132), a second motor (133), a first heating device (134), a cooling fan (135), a nozzle (136), and a second heating device (137).

[0044] The second barrel (131) has a hollow tube shape and is equipped with a nozzle (136) at the front.

[0045] The second screw (132) is provided inside the second barrel (131) to transport the material.

[0046] The second screw (132) is configured to include a second main body part (132-1) having a cylindrical shape and a second spiral part (132-2) that protrudes in a spiral shape on the outer surface along the length direction of the second main body part (132-1).

[0047] The second motor (133) is provided at one end of the rear of the second barrel (131) and rotates the second screw (132).

[0048] The first heating device (134) is provided in the second barrel (131) and heats the internal materials of the first barrel (121) and the second barrel (131).

[0049] The first heating device (134) is positioned adjacent to the end of the first barrel (121) connected to the second barrel (131) and heats the material inside the first barrel (121) and the material inside the second barrel (131).

[0050] A cooling fan (135) is provided in a part of the second barrel (131) to cool the heated material.

[0051] A nozzle (136) is provided at the front end of the second barrel (131) to output material.

[0052] A second heating device (137) is provided in a part of the second barrel (131) to heat the nozzle (136).

[0053] The extruder (100) capable of extruding heterogeneous materials according to the present invention is configured to further include a first temperature sensor (138) that detects the temperature of the first heating device (134) and a second temperature sensor (139) that detects the temperature of the second heating device (137).

[0054] The first heating device (134) and the second heating device (137) operate when the first temperature sensor (138) and the second temperature sensor (139) are lower than the set temperature range, respectively, and stop operating when the temperature is higher than the set temperature range.

[0055] In addition, the extruder (100) capable of extruding heterogeneous materials according to the present invention is configured to further include a control unit (140) that controls the power on / off of the extruder (100) capable of extruding heterogeneous materials, the output of the material through the nozzle (136), and the overall operation of the first motor (123) and the second motor (133).

[0056] The control unit (140) receives detection signals from the first temperature sensor (138) and the second temperature sensor (139) and controls the overall operation of the transfer unit (120) and the output unit (130).

[0057] The control unit (140) is configured to include a microcontroller that performs operation processing and a memory that stores data.

[0058] In addition, the extruder (100) capable of extruding heterogeneous materials according to the present invention may further include a power supply unit for supplying power and a communication unit. The communication unit is configured to include a communication module capable of wired and wireless communication.

[0059] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 together, the operational relationship of the extruder (100) capable of extruding heterogeneous materials according to the present invention will be described. An operator inputs heterogeneous materials mixed at a set ratio into a hopper (110).

[0060] The conveying section (120) supplies the material in a molten state to the output section (130).

[0061] The first heating device (134) is provided in the output section (130) to generate heat, and the heated heat is transferred to the first barrel (121) of the transfer section (120) and the second barrel (131) of the output section (130). The first heating device (134) is provided adjacent to a first temperature sensor (138) so that it operates within a set temperature range to generate heat.

[0062] The molten material is moved by rotating the first screw (122) provided inside the first barrel (121) of the transfer unit (120) by the operation of the first motor (123).

[0063] The molten material is supplied into the interior of the second barrel (131).

[0064] The material moved inside the second barrel (131) is moved to the end where the nozzle (136) is provided by rotating the second screw (132) provided inside the second barrel (131) of the output section (130) by the second motor (133).

[0065] At this time, the cooling fan (135) operates to lower the temperature of the overheated material.

[0066] The control unit (140) operates the cooling fan (135) when it is determined that overheating has occurred because the normal temperature range is set differently depending on whether the materials are supplied sequentially or the type or mixing ratio of the materials.

[0067] The second heating device (137) heats the nozzle (136) so that the material is output. The second heating device (137) is provided with a second temperature sensor (139) adjacent to it so that it operates within a set temperature range to generate heat.

[0068] The material heated and melted within the normal temperature range is output through a nozzle (136) provided at the end of the second barrel (131).

[0069] Therefore, the extruder capable of extruding heterogeneous materials according to the present invention can conveniently control the temperature of heterogeneous materials and prevent the phenomenon of solidification during the extrusion process, thereby improving process efficiency.

[0070] Additionally, mixing of different materials is smooth, and 3D printing can be performed regardless of the worker's skill level.

[0071]

[0072] Although the embodiments described above have been described with limited drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and variations can be made based on the above description. For example, appropriate results can still be achieved even if the described techniques are performed in a different order than described, and / or components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. are combined or combined in a different manner than described, or are replaced or substituted with other components or equivalents.

[0073] Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims also fall within the scope of the claims described below.

Claims

1. In an extruder capable of extruding blended heterogeneous materials by melting and extruding materials equipped in a 3D printer, A hopper into which the above material is fed; A conveying section in which the material supplied through the above hopper is melted and moved; and It is characterized in that it includes an output section in which one end of the above-mentioned transfer section is connected to one side portion and the material is discharged; An extruder capable of extruding blended heterogeneous materials.

2. In paragraph 1, The above transport unit, A first barrel in the shape of a hollow tube; a first screw provided inside the first barrel; and characterized in that it comprises a first motor provided at one end of the first barrel and rotating the first screw; An extruder capable of extruding blended heterogeneous materials.

3. In paragraph 2, The above first screw, a first main body having a cylindrical shape; and It is characterized by including a first spiral portion formed in a spiral shape protruding on the outer surface along the longitudinal direction of the first main body portion; An extruder capable of extruding blended heterogeneous materials.

4. In paragraph 1, The above output section, Second barrel in the shape of a hollow tube; A second screw provided inside the second barrel to transport the material; A second motor provided at one end of the second barrel and rotating the second screw; A first heating device provided in the second barrel and heating the internal materials of the first barrel and the second barrel; A cooling fan provided in a part of the second barrel to cool the heated material; A nozzle provided at the other end of the second barrel for outputting material; and characterized in that it comprises a second heating device provided in a part of the second barrel and heating the nozzle; An extruder capable of extruding blended heterogeneous materials.

5. In paragraph 4, The second screw above, a second main body having a cylindrical shape; and A second spiral portion formed in a spiral shape protruding on the outer surface along the longitudinal direction of the second main body portion; characterized in that it includes; An extruder capable of extruding blended heterogeneous materials.

6. In paragraph 4, a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the first heating device; and characterized in that it further comprises a second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the second heating device; An extruder capable of extruding blended heterogeneous materials.

7. In paragraph 1, The above transfer unit is characterized in that it is connected to the output unit in an inclined state. An extruder capable of extruding blended heterogeneous materials.

8. In paragraph 1, It is characterized by further including a control unit that controls the operation of the extruder capable of extruding the above heterogeneous materials. An extruder capable of extruding blended heterogeneous materials.

Images