Filament drying method, storage medium and 3D printing feeding device

Abstract

A filament drying method, a storage medium and a 3D printing feeding device. A filament drying method is provided, and the drying method is applied to a 3D printing feeding device. The 3D printing feeding device comprises a filament compartment and a drying mechanism, wherein the filament compartment has an airtight accommodating cavity, a filament is accommodated in the accommodating cavity, and the filament compartment has an air vent in communication with the accommodating cavity; and the drying mechanism is arranged in the accommodating cavity. The filament drying method comprises: when the 3D printing feeding device meets a dehumidification condition, closing the air vent; and controlling the drying mechanism to dry the filament. By means of closing the air vent of the accommodating cavity before the drying mechanism dries the filament and then enabling the accommodating cavity to form a sealed space, the technical solution of the present application reduces the air convection between the accommodating cavity and an external space, and increases the heating rate of the accommodating cavity when the drying mechanism is turned on, thereby improving the drying efficiency of the drying mechanism for the filament.

Description

Drying methods for filaments, storage media, and 3D printing feeding devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411214342.3, filed on August 31, 2024, entitled “Method for drying filament, storage medium and 3D printing feed device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of 3D printing technology, specifically to a method for drying filament, a storage medium, and a 3D printing feeding device. Background Technology

[0003] Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is currently the most widely adopted 3D printing process. The materials used for molding are typically high-molecular-weight thermoplastic materials, such as ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer) or PLA (polylactic acid). These materials are wound in the form of lines onto a spool and then mounted within the 3D printing feed device via the spool.

[0004] During 3D printer use, these consumables are inevitably exposed to air and absorb moisture, becoming damp. Damp consumables can affect the printing quality. Therefore, it is usually necessary to dry the consumables before 3D printing.

[0005] However, in related technologies, the drying method used in 3D printing feeding devices has a long drying time and low drying efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this application is to provide a method for drying filament, a storage medium, and a 3D printing feeding device, aiming to solve the problems of long drying time and low drying efficiency in the drying methods used in related technologies for 3D printing feeding devices.

[0007] To achieve the objectives of this application, in a first aspect, this application provides a method for drying filament, the drying method being applied to a 3D printing feeding device, the 3D printing feeding device including a hopper and a drying mechanism, the hopper having an airtight cavity containing filament, the hopper having an air vent communicating with the cavity and the air vent being ventilated and connected to the external environment of the hopper; the drying mechanism being disposed in the cavity, the method for drying the filament including:

[0008] When the 3D printing feeding device meets the dehumidification conditions, the air inlet is closed;

[0009] The drying mechanism is controlled to dry the wire material.

[0010] In one possible implementation, after the drying mechanism is controlled to dry the wire, the method further includes:

[0011] An initial temperature is obtained, and a first relative humidity range of the accommodating cavity is determined, wherein the temperature corresponding to the first relative humidity range is higher than the initial temperature;

[0012] When the temperature inside the receiving cavity rises to a preset first temperature threshold and the relative humidity inside the receiving cavity is within the first relative humidity range, the air vent is opened to allow air inside the receiving cavity to escape. It is understood that when the temperature inside the hopper rises to the preset first temperature threshold, the air vent may not open immediately. If the relative humidity is within the first relative humidity range, the air vent will open immediately; otherwise, it will remain open for a period of time. This allows the receiving cavity to heat up quickly and maintain a high temperature, which helps to quickly dry out moisture.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the 3D printing feeding device further includes air valves, each air valve being disposed at an air inlet. Each air valve includes a baffle, a swing arm, and an air valve drive assembly. The baffle is movably disposed in the material hopper and has an open position and a closed position. When the baffle is in the open position, it covers the air inlet; when the baffle is in the closed position, it separates from the air inlet. The first end of the swing arm is slidably connected to the slide groove, and the second end is connected to the air valve drive assembly. Closing the air inlet includes:

[0014] The control valve drive assembly drives the swing arm to swing, and the swing arm drives the baffle to move from the open position to the closed position to close the air port;

[0015] Opening the air vent includes:

[0016] The control valve drive assembly drives the swing arm to swing, and the swing arm drives the baffle to move from the closed position to the open position to open the air port.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the air inlet includes an air inlet and an air outlet, the air inlet being used to allow gas to flow into the receiving cavity, and the air outlet being used to allow gas to flow out of the exhaust cavity.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the drying mechanism includes a fan and a heating element, the fan being used to form a drying airflow within the accommodating cavity, and the heating element being used to heat the drying airflow. Controlling the drying mechanism to dry the wire on the tray includes:

[0019] Turn on the fan to create a drying airflow;

[0020] Turn on the heating element to heat the drying airflow.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the dehumidification conditions include: receiving a dehumidification command, and / or,

[0022] Get the last dehumidification time, and when the time interval since the last dehumidification reaches a second preset time; and / or,

[0023] When the hopper door is closed; and / or,

[0024] When the temperature inside the cavity is at a preset temperature, and the relative humidity inside the silo is within a preset second relative humidity range.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the hopper is further provided with a feeding channel, which is connected to the receiving cavity; the 3D printing feeding device further includes a material tray and a loading / unloading mechanism, the spool is rotatably disposed in the receiving cavity, the filament is wound around the spool, the loading / unloading mechanism is used to drive the filament to move in the guiding channel, and after the drying mechanism is controlled to start drying the filament, the device further includes:

[0026] The loading and unloading mechanism drives the material tray to rotate continuously, and the rotation speed of the material tray is W, where 0.01 r / min ≤ W ≤ 2 r / min, or...

[0027] The loading and unloading mechanism is controlled to drive the tray to rotate by a predetermined angle or for a predetermined time, and after a preset time interval, the loading and unloading mechanism drives the tray to rotate again.

[0028] In one possible implementation, after controlling the loading and unloading mechanism to drive the tray to rotate continuously, or controlling the loading and unloading mechanism to drive the tray to rotate by a predetermined angle or a predetermined time, and after driving the tray to rotate again by the loading and unloading mechanism after a preset time interval, the method further includes:

[0029] Obtain the initial temperature, and determine the third relative humidity range of the cavity based on the initial temperature;

[0030] When the 3D printing feeding device meets the conditions for stopping drying, it controls the drying mechanism to stop drying and controls the loading and unloading mechanism to stop driving the material tray to rotate.

[0031] The conditions for stopping drying include: the 3D printing feeding device drying the filament for a first preset time, and / or,

[0032] The temperature rise within the accommodating cavity is preset to a first temperature threshold, and the relative humidity within the accommodating cavity is within the third relative humidity range; and / or,

[0033] The total rotation angle of the material tray is greater than the preset angle.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the loading and unloading mechanism includes a loading mechanism and a unloading mechanism. The unloading mechanism drives the filament to move from the 3D printing equipment toward the guide channel. The unloading mechanism includes a drive shaft and a tray drive assembly. The drive shaft is rotatably connected to the receiving cavity, and its outer peripheral surface contacts the outer peripheral surface of the tray. The tray drive assembly is connected to the drive shaft. The loading and unloading mechanism drives the tray to rotate. The loading mechanism drives the filament to move from the guide channel toward the 3D printing equipment. The loading mechanism includes a drive wheel, a driven wheel, and a filament drive assembly. There is a gap between the drive wheel and the driven wheel. The filament extends into the gap and contacts the outer peripheral surfaces of the drive wheel and the driven wheel. The filament drive assembly is driven by the drive wheel. After the air valve closes the air port, the mechanism further includes:

[0035] During the drying process, the material tray drive assembly is controlled to drive the drive shaft to rotate, so that the drive shaft drives the material tray to rotate; and / or, the filament drive assembly is controlled to drive the drive wheel to rotate, so that the drive wheel drives the filament to move towards the 3D printing equipment, and the filament drives the material tray to rotate.

[0036] Obtain the initial temperature, and determine the first relative humidity range of the accommodating cavity based on the initial temperature;

[0037] When the temperature inside the cavity rises to a preset first temperature threshold and the relative humidity inside the cavity is within the third relative humidity range, the air vent is opened to allow the air inside the cavity to be discharged outwards.

[0038] Secondly, this application also proposes a storage medium storing a drying program for wire, the drying program being executed by a controller to implement a drying method for the wire, the drying method comprising:

[0039] When the 3D printing feeding device meets the dehumidification conditions, the air inlet is closed;

[0040] The drying mechanism is controlled to dry the wire material.

[0041] Thirdly, this application also proposes a 3D printing feeding device, which includes a controller and a memory. The memory is used to store computer instructions, and the controller is used to invoke the computer instructions to execute a drying method, the drying method including:

[0042] When the 3D printing feeding device meets the dehumidification conditions, the air inlet is closed;

[0043] The drying mechanism is controlled to dry the wire material.

[0044] The technical solution of this application closes the air vent of the receiving cavity before the drying mechanism dries the wire material, thereby forming a sealed space in the receiving cavity, which reduces the air convection between the receiving cavity and the external space, increases the heating rate of the receiving cavity when the drying mechanism is turned on, and improves the drying efficiency of the drying mechanism for the wire material. Attached Figure Description

[0045] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0046] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the 3D printing feeding device provided in this application;

[0047] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the hardware operating environment involved in this application.

[0048] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the feeding mechanism in Figure 1;

[0049] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the feeding mechanism in Figure 1;

[0050] Figure 5 is an enlarged view of point A in Figure 4;

[0051] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the drying mechanism in Figure 1;

[0052] Figure 7 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the silo in Figure 1;

[0053] Figure 8 is an exploded view of the air valve in Figure 1;

[0054] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the first process of the drying method for wire provided in this application;

[0055] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the second process of the drying method for wire provided in this application.

[0056] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 100-3D printing feeding device; 1-hopper, 11-receiving cavity, 111-exhaust port, 112-air inlet, 12-material guide channel; 2-material tray; 3-loading / unloading mechanism, 31-unloading mechanism, 311-drive shaft, 32-loading mechanism, 321-drive wheel, 322-driven wheel, 323-gap; 4-air valve, 41-baffle, 42-swing arm, 43-air valve drive assembly, 431-permanent magnet, 432-electromagnet; 5-filament; 6-fan; 7-heating element; 1001-controller, 1002-communication bus, 1003-user interface, 1004-network interface, 1005-memory. Detailed Implementation

[0057] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0058] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "fixed" to another component, it can be directly on the other component or it can be in a middle component. When a component is said to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or it may be in a middle component.

[0059] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terminology used in the specification of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0060] The following detailed description of some embodiments of this application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0061] Please refer to Figure 1. This application proposes a 3D printing feeding device 100, which is used to cooperate with a 3D printing device to provide the raw materials required for printing during the printing process of the 3D printing device.

[0062] The 3D printing feeding device 100 includes a hopper 1, a material tray 2, a loading and unloading mechanism 3, a controller 1001, a memory 1005, and a drying mechanism. The hopper 1 serves as the main structural component of the 3D printing feeding device 100, supporting and connecting the various component assemblies of the 3D printing feeding device 100. The hopper 1 has a receiving cavity 11 for accommodating filament 5. A guiding channel 12 is formed within the receiving cavity 11. One end of the guiding channel 12 is connected to the receiving cavity 11, and the other end is connected to the extrusion head of the 3D printing equipment. The filament 5 can enter the extrusion head of the 3D printing equipment through the guiding channel 12 and be extruded onto the printing platform of the 3D printing equipment.

[0063] The hopper 1 can be integrally formed or separately configured; this application does not impose any limitation on this. In one embodiment of this application, the hopper 1 includes a base and a cover plate. The base serves as the basic structure of the hopper 1, forming the receiving cavity 11 of the hopper 1. The cover plate is movably connected to the base; the cover plate can be rotatably connected to the base or slidably connected to the base; this application does not impose any limitation on this. The cover plate is used to open or close the opening of the receiving cavity 11 by its own movement. When the cover plate is open, the opening of the receiving cavity 11 is exposed, and the filament 5 can be placed inside the receiving cavity 11 through the opening. When the cover plate is closed, the opening of the receiving cavity 11 is closed, and the receiving cavity 11 is airtight, thereby protecting the filament 5 from moisture and contaminants, ensuring the quality and stability of the material supply during the 3D printing process.

[0064] Please refer to Figure 2. The controller 1001 is used to call computer instructions to control the movement of the loading / unloading mechanism 3 and the drying mechanism. The controller 1001 can be a central processing unit (CPU), or it can be other general-purpose controllers, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc.

[0065] The memory 1005 is used to store computer instructions, and it is also used to store the operating system, network communication module, user interface module, and wire drying program, etc. The memory 1005 can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or it can include both. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static RAM (SRAM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), Enhanced Synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0066] To work in conjunction with the controller 1001 and memory 1005, the 3D printing feed device 100 also includes a communication bus 1002, a user interface 1003, and a network interface 1004. The communication bus 1002 is used to enable communication between these components. The user interface 1003 is mainly used for user data interaction and may include a display screen, an input unit such as a keyboard, and optionally, a standard wired or wireless interface. The network interface 1004 is mainly used for data communication with a network server and may optionally include a standard wired or wireless interface (such as a Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi) interface).

[0067] Referring to Figure 1, the material tray 2 is rotated and placed inside the receiving cavity. The filament 5 is wound around the material tray 2, and the filament head of the filament 5 is installed in the guide channel 12. The number of material trays 2 can be one or more, and this application does not limit this. Considering that multiple types of filament 5 are often required in the printing process of a model, in this application, the 3D printing feeding device 100 includes multiple material trays 2, and correspondingly, the receiving cavity 11 is provided with multiple guide channels 12 corresponding to the number of material trays 2.

[0068] The loading and unloading mechanism 3 is installed on the hopper 1 and is used to drive the filament 5 to move within the guide channel 12. Specifically, the loading and unloading mechanism 3 includes a unloading mechanism 31 and a loading mechanism 32. The unloading mechanism 31 is used to drive the filament to move along the direction of the 3D printing equipment from the direction of the guide channel 12, and the loading mechanism 32 is used to drive the filament 5 to move along the guide channel 12 from the direction of the 3D printing equipment.

[0069] Please refer to Figure 3. The feeding mechanism 31 includes a drive shaft 311 and a tray drive assembly. The drive shaft 311 is rotatably connected to the receiving cavity 11. The outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 311 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tray 2. The tray drive assembly is connected to the drive shaft 311. The tray drive assembly can be a motor or other rotating parts. This application does not limit this.

[0070] In practical applications, when the 3D printing equipment needs to replace the filament 5 or needs to remove the filament 5, the controller can control the rotation of the drive shaft 311 by controlling the rotation of the material tray drive assembly. The rotation of the drive shaft 311 drives the material tray 2 to rotate and move in the direction of material roll. The filament 5 is wound back onto the material tray 2, thereby driving the filament 5 in the material guide channel 12 to move from the 3D printing equipment to the material guide channel 12, and causing the filament 5 to exit from the 3D printing equipment.

[0071] Please refer to Figures 4 and 5. The feeding mechanism 32 includes a drive wheel 321, a driven wheel 322, and a wire material driving assembly. The drive wheel 321 and the driven wheel 322 are rotatably connected to the hopper 1 and extend at least partially into the guide channel 12. There is a gap 323 between the drive wheel 321 and the driven wheel 322 for the wire material 5 to extend into. The wire material driving assembly is driven by the drive wheel 321. The wire material driving assembly can be a motor or other rotating mechanism. This application does not limit this.

[0072] In practical applications, the filament 5 is installed between the drive wheel 321 and the driven wheel 322 in the gap 323, and contacts both the drive wheel 321 and the driven wheel 322. When printing begins and the 3D printing equipment requires the filament 5 to enter, the controller controls the filament drive assembly to rotate. The movement of the filament drive assembly drives the drive wheel 321, which in turn drives the driven wheel 322 and the filament 5 positioned between the drive wheel 321 and the driven wheel 322, allowing the filament 5 to enter the 3D printing equipment.

[0073] It is understood that in some other possible embodiments of this application, a single drive mechanism can be used to drive the drive wheel 321 and the drive shaft 311 to rotate respectively, that is, the material tray drive assembly and the wire material drive assembly are the same drive structure, and this application does not limit this.

[0074] Please refer to Figure 6. The drying mechanism is used to dry the filament 5 in the hopper 1, thereby reducing the impact of moisture on the printing effect of the filament 5 on the 3D printing equipment. The drying mechanism can be a warm air drying mechanism or an infrared drying mechanism; this application does not limit this. The drying mechanism includes a fan 6 and a heating element 7. The fan 6 is used to form a dynamic airflow circulation within the accommodating cavity 11 to accelerate the airflow velocity on the surface of the filament 5 and improve the heat dissipation effect of the drying mechanism. The fan 6 can be an axial flow fan 6, a centrifugal fan 6, or other types of fans 6; this application does not limit this.

[0075] The heating element 7 is used to heat the airflow within the receiving cavity 11, thereby increasing the temperature of the circulating airflow within the receiving cavity 11, improving the evaporation effect of the airflow on the moisture in the thread 5, and improving the heat dissipation effect of the drying mechanism. The heating element 7 can be an electric heating wire, a heating plate, or other forms of heating element, and this application does not limit this.

[0076] It should be noted that, in this application, the airflow circulation formed by the fan 6 can be an internal airflow circulation within the flow channel of the housing cavity 11, or an external airflow circulation between the housing cavity 11 and the external environment. Referring to Figure 7, in one embodiment of this application, the housing cavity 11 is provided with an air inlet, including an inlet 112 and an outlet 111, with dampers 4 installed on the inlet 112 and outlet 111. When the damper 4 is open, airflow can enter the housing cavity 11 through the inlet 112 and exit through the outlet 111, thus forming an external circulation airflow within the housing cavity 11. When the damper 4 is closed, airflow cannot enter the housing cavity 11 through the inlet 112, nor can it exit through the outlet 111, and the airflow changes from external circulation to internal circulation.

[0077] Understandably, in some other possible embodiments of this application, the air inlet may be just the exhaust port 111, and the air inlet may be replaced by some air inlet gaps in the hopper 1 (e.g., the fitting gap 323 between the base and the cover plate). This application does not limit this.

[0078] Referring to Figure 8, to achieve the closing and opening of the air inlet 112 and the exhaust outlet 111, in one embodiment of this application, the air valve 4 includes a baffle 41, a swing arm 42, and a valve drive assembly 43. The baffle 41 is movably disposed in the hopper 1 and has an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the baffle 41 is disposed at the exhaust outlet 111; in the closed position, the baffle 41 is separated from the air inlet 112 or the exhaust outlet 111. One end of the swing arm 42 is connected to the baffle 41, and the other end is connected to the valve drive assembly 43. The swing arm 42 is used to drive the baffle 41 to rotate between the open and closed positions under the drive of the valve drive assembly 43.

[0079] The air valve drive assembly 43 is used to drive the swing arm 42 to move. The air valve drive assembly 43 can be a cylinder or a motor. This application does not limit this. In one embodiment of this application, the air valve drive assembly 43 includes a permanent magnet 431 and an electromagnet 432. One of the electromagnet 432 and the permanent magnet 431 is located in the hopper 1, and the other of the electromagnet 432 and the permanent magnet 431 is located in the swing arm 42. The electromagnet 432 is used to be energized to interact with the permanent magnet 431, thereby driving the swing arm 42 to move the baffle 41.

[0080] In practical applications, the electromagnet 432 includes a soft magnetic yoke structure and a coil. The soft magnetic yoke structure is fixed to the hopper 1, and the coil is wound around the soft magnetic yoke structure. One end of the swing arm 42 is fixed to the permanent magnet 431 to rotate relative to the hopper 1, and the other end of the swing arm 42 is connected to the baffle 41. When the controller needs to open the air inlet 112 or the exhaust port 111, the coil is energized and generates a magnetic field. The magnetic field interacts with the permanent magnet of the swing arm 42, thereby driving the swing arm 42 and the baffle 41 connected to the swing arm 42 to move from the open position to the closed position, thus opening the air inlet 112 or the exhaust port 111. When the air inlet 112 or the exhaust port 111 needs to be closed, the controller disconnects the coil current or changes the current direction, causing the baffle 41 to rotate from the closed position back to the open position, thereby closing the air inlet 112 or the exhaust port 111.

[0081] During 3D printing, the consumables inevitably get exposed to air and absorb moisture, becoming damp. This dampness affects the printing quality. Therefore, drying the consumables is usually necessary before 3D printing. However, current drying methods used in 3D printing feeders are time-consuming and inefficient.

[0082] To address the aforementioned issues, this application proposes a storage medium storing a drying program for wire. The drying program is executed by a controller to implement a drying method for the wire. By utilizing this drying method, the heating rate of the accommodating cavity can be effectively increased when the drying mechanism is turned on, thereby improving the drying efficiency of the drying mechanism for the wire.

[0083] Please refer to Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram of the first process of the wire drying method provided in this application. In this embodiment, the wire drying method includes:

[0084] S101. When the 3D printing feed device meets the dehumidification conditions, close the air inlet.

[0085] There are various conditions under which a 3D printing feeder can start dehumidification. The 3D printing feeder can start dehumidification after receiving a dehumidification command. The dehumidification command can be issued manually by the user through the operation interface or by the system through automatic monitoring sensors. This application does not restrict this. This method allows dehumidification to be started based on the judgment of the user or the system, avoiding unnecessary energy consumption, while ensuring that the filament is always within a suitable humidity range, thus improving the 3D printing effect.

[0086] The 3D printing feeder can also determine whether to activate dehumidification based on the dehumidification time before and after dehumidification. Specifically, in this embodiment, the controller records the dehumidification time of the filament in the 3D printing feeder. When the controller detects that the time interval between the last dehumidification and the last dehumidification reaches a second preset time (this second preset time can be set to 24 hours, 48 ​​hours, or 12 hours; this application does not limit this), the drying mechanism will also be activated to dehumidify the filament in the 3D printing feeder. This ensures that the filament receives timely drying when exposed to the environment for extended periods, preventing moisture absorption and ensuring that the filament remains within a suitable humidity range, thereby improving the 3D printing effect.

[0087] The 3D printing feed device can also determine whether to activate dehumidification based on the relative humidity within the storage cavity. Specifically, in this embodiment, the controller detects the relative humidity within the storage cavity. Since relative humidity is related to ambient temperature, when detecting the relative humidity, the controller first detects the current ambient temperature and, based on the current ambient temperature, retrieves a stored ambient temperature-relative humidity function table. This function table reflects the optimal ambient temperature for storing the filament at various temperatures. By querying this ambient temperature-relative humidity function table, the controller can determine the second relative humidity range within which the storage cavity needs dehumidification at the current ambient temperature. When the temperature within the storage cavity is at a preset temperature and the relative humidity of the filament is within the preset second relative humidity range, the controller will activate the drying mechanism to dehumidify the storage cavity when the relative humidity of the storage cavity reaches the second relative humidity range. The preset temperature and second relative humidity range can be set according to actual conditions. For example, in one embodiment of this application, the preset temperature is T, where T < 35°C, and the second relative humidity is RH, where RH > 40%. By detecting the relative humidity inside the filament chamber and combining it with changes in ambient temperature to determine whether to activate the dehumidification device, the humidity level of the filament's environment can be controlled more precisely. This ensures that the filament remains within the optimal humidity range under different temperature conditions, thereby avoiding a decline in print quality due to humidity changes and improving the intelligence and adaptability of the 3D printing feeder.

[0088] In addition, in other possible embodiments of this application, the dehumidification of the 3D printing feed device can also be determined by the opening state of the hopper door. Specifically, when the hopper door is opened and closed, the environment inside the receiving cavity is affected by the outside air, which may introduce moisture. In this embodiment, after the hopper door has been opened and closed once, the controller will also activate the drying mechanism to dry the filament inside the receiving cavity, thereby quickly restoring a dry environment inside the receiving cavity, preventing the filament from becoming damp due to the intrusion of external moisture, and ensuring the stability and quality of subsequent printing. This design improves the ease of operation of the equipment and reduces the need for manual operation.

[0089] In this embodiment, before the drying mechanism starts drying, the controller will control the air valve to close the air port, so that the receiving cavity forms a closed space, thereby reducing the air convection between the receiving cavity and the external space, increasing the heating rate of the receiving cavity when the drying mechanism is turned on, and improving the drying efficiency of the drying mechanism for the wire material.

[0090] Understandably, during the drying process, moisture from the yarn will continuously evaporate into the receiving cavity. When the moisture level in the receiving cavity reaches a certain point, it will affect the drying efficiency of the drying mechanism on the yarn. To avoid this impact on the drying of the yarn, in one embodiment of this application, after controlling the drying mechanism to dry the yarn, the following steps are also included:

[0091] The initial temperature is obtained, and a first relative humidity range of the cavity is determined, wherein the temperature corresponding to the first relative humidity range is higher than the initial temperature.

[0092] When the temperature inside the cavity rises above the initial temperature by a preset first temperature threshold, and the relative humidity inside the cavity is within a first relative humidity range, the vent is opened to allow air inside the cavity to be discharged. The size of the first temperature threshold and the first humidity range can be determined according to actual conditions. For example, in one embodiment of this application, the first temperature threshold is T1, where T1 > 50°C, and the first relative humidity range is RH1 > 40%.

[0093] In this embodiment, before drying, the controller acquires the ambient temperature and records it as the initial temperature. Based on this initial temperature, it determines the exhaust humidity of the receiving cavity, i.e., the first relative humidity. When the relative humidity in the receiving cavity reaches the first relative humidity due to the filling of moisture in the wire material, the controller opens the air valve and the air vent, allowing the moisture in the receiving cavity to be discharged outwards along with the gas in the receiving cavity, thereby improving the drying efficiency of the drying mechanism for the wire material.

[0094] Meanwhile, to avoid excessive moisture in the fabric and frequent opening of the air vents, which would lead to a significant loss of heat and affect the drying effect of the drying mechanism, in this embodiment, the opening of the air valve is related not only to the relative humidity in the cavity but also to the temperature. The controller will only control the air valve to open the air vent when the temperature in the cavity rises above a preset first temperature threshold compared to the initial temperature, thereby avoiding heat loss caused by frequent opening of the air vents and improving drying efficiency and effect.

[0095] To enable the opening and closing of the air inlet, in one embodiment of this application, the air inlet includes an air inlet and an air outlet, and the air valve includes a baffle, a swing arm, and an air valve drive assembly. The baffle is movably mounted on the hopper and has an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the baffle is positioned at the air outlet; in the closed position, the baffle is separated from either the air inlet or the air outlet. One end of the swing arm is connected to the baffle, and the other end is connected to the air valve drive assembly. The swing arm is used to drive the baffle to rotate between the open and closed positions under the drive of the air valve drive assembly.

[0096] The air valve drive assembly is used to drive the swing arm to move. The air valve drive assembly can be a cylinder or a motor. This application does not limit the type of cylinder. In one embodiment of this application, the air valve drive assembly includes a permanent magnet and an electromagnet. One of the electromagnet and the permanent magnet is located in the hopper, and the other of the electromagnet and the permanent magnet is located in the swing arm. The electromagnet is used to be energized to interact with the permanent magnet, thereby driving the swing arm to move the baffle.

[0097] In practical applications, the electromagnet comprises a soft magnetic yoke structure and a coil. The soft magnetic yoke structure is fixed to the hopper, and the coil is wound around it. One end of the swing arm is fixed to a permanent magnet to rotate relative to the hopper, while the other end is connected to a baffle. When the controller needs to open the air inlet or outlet, the coil is energized and generates a magnetic field. This magnetic field interacts with the permanent magnet of the swing arm, thereby moving the swing arm and the baffle connected to it from the open position to the closed position, thus opening the air inlet or outlet. When the controller needs to close the air inlet or outlet, it disconnects the coil current or changes the current direction, causing the baffle to rotate from the closed position back to the open position, thus closing the air inlet or outlet.

[0098] S102. Control the drying mechanism to dry the wire material.

[0099] There are various methods for drying material trays in drying mechanisms. In one embodiment of this application, the drying mechanism is configured as an infrared dryer. After the material tray is placed in the hopper, the controller turns on the infrared dryer to dry the wire. In another embodiment of this application, the drying mechanism includes a fan and a heating element. The fan is used to form a drying airflow within the accommodating cavity, and the heating element is used to heat the drying airflow. Controlling the drying mechanism to dry the wire on the material tray includes:

[0100] Turn on the fan to create a drying airflow.

[0101] The fan is used to create a dynamic airflow circulation within the drying cavity to accelerate the airflow velocity on the surface of the wire and improve the heat dissipation effect of the drying mechanism. The fan can be an axial fan, a centrifugal fan, or other types of fans; this application does not limit the types of fans used.

[0102] Turn on the heating element to heat the drying airflow.

[0103] The heating element is used to heat the airflow in the receiving cavity, thereby increasing the temperature of the circulating airflow in the receiving cavity, improving the evaporation effect of the airflow on the moisture of the wire, and improving the heat dissipation effect of the drying mechanism.

[0104] Please refer to Figure 10. To improve the drying effect of the drying mechanism on the filament, in one embodiment of this application, the hopper is further provided with a feeding channel, which is connected to the receiving cavity; the 3D printing feeding device also includes a filament tray and a loading / unloading mechanism. The filament tray is rotatably disposed in the receiving cavity, and the filament is wound around the filament tray. The loading / unloading mechanism is used to drive the filament to move in the guiding channel. The drying method of the filament includes:

[0105] S201. When the 3D printing feeder meets the dehumidification requirements, close the air inlet.

[0106] S202. Control the drying mechanism to dry the wire material.

[0107] S203. Control the loading and unloading mechanism to drive the material tray to rotate continuously. The rotation speed of the material tray is W, 0.01r / min≤W≤2r / min. Alternatively, control the loading and unloading mechanism to drive the material tray to rotate by a predetermined angle or a predetermined time, and drive the material tray to rotate again through the loading and unloading mechanism after a preset time interval.

[0108] The rotation of the material tray can be continuous or intermittent. In one embodiment of this application, controlling the loading and unloading mechanism to drive the material tray to rotate includes:

[0109] The loading and unloading mechanism drives the tray to rotate, and after a preset time interval, the loading and unloading mechanism drives the tray to rotate again.

[0110] This embodiment reduces the energy consumption of the 3D printing feeding device during the operation of the drying mechanism by controlling the intermittent rotation of the feeding tray, thereby reducing the wear of the 3D printing feeding device and extending its service life.

[0111] The material tray can rotate at the same angle or at different angles each time, and this application does not limit this. In one embodiment of this application, the angle of rotation of the material tray is set to be the same each time, so as to ensure that the wire on the spool can be evenly exposed to the heating airflow in the receiving cavity, thereby improving the uniformity of the drying mechanism for the wire.

[0112] To achieve the rotation of the material tray, the loading and unloading mechanism includes a feeding mechanism and a loading mechanism. The feeding mechanism drives the filament to move from the 3D printing equipment towards the guide channel. The loading mechanism drives the filament to move from the guide channel towards the 3D printing equipment. The loading and unloading mechanism can drive the material tray to rotate through the feeding mechanism.

[0113] Specifically, in one embodiment of this application, the unloading mechanism includes a drive shaft and a tray drive assembly. The drive shaft is rotatably connected within the receiving cavity, and the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft contacts the outer peripheral surface of the tray. The tray drive assembly is connected to the drive shaft, controlling the unloading mechanism to drive the tray to rotate, including:

[0114] The control tray drive assembly drives the drive shaft to rotate, so that the drive shaft drives the tray to rotate.

[0115] In this embodiment, the head of the wire is fixed on a tray, which is placed inside a receiving cavity, and the outer edge of the tray is in contact with the drive shaft of the feeding mechanism. The controller can control the tray drive assembly to drive the drive shaft to rotate, thereby driving the tray to rotate and thus realizing the rotation of the wire.

[0116] To prevent the wire on the tray from scattering during rotation, in one embodiment of this application, before controlling the tray drive assembly to drive the drive shaft to rotate, the following is further included:

[0117] Obtain the position of the feed line.

[0118] The controller can obtain the position of the wire material through sensors installed on the material tray, or it can obtain the position of the wire material through machine vision. This application does not limit this.

[0119] If the wire end is not fixed to the reel, the reel drive component will be prohibited from moving, and the user will be reminded by sound or text that the wire is not fixed or to fix the wire to the reel.

[0120] The audio prompt can be a continuous beeping sound from a buzzer or a preset voice prompt, such as "Please secure the cable." The text prompt can be a message displayed on the screen, such as "The cable is not secured, please check" or "Please secure the cable before continuing." This application does not limit the scope of the prompt.

[0121] In this embodiment, the position of the thread is detected before the tray rotates. If the thread end is not secured to the tray, the controller will not rotate the tray and will remind the user via voice or question that the thread end is not secured. This prevents the user from forgetting to secure the thread, which could cause it to scatter on the tray during the drying process, thus improving the user experience.

[0122] The material tray can rotate intermittently under the action of the feeding mechanism. Specifically, in one embodiment of this application, controlling the material tray drive assembly to drive the drive shaft to rotate, and driving the material tray to rotate through the drive shaft, includes:

[0123] The control tray drive component drives the drive shaft to rotate, and the drive shaft drives the tray to rotate by a preset angle.

[0124] The total rotation angle of the tray is N. If N < 300°, the tray drive assembly will be controlled to drive the drive shaft to rotate again after a preset time interval, and the tray will rotate by a preset angle through the drive shaft.

[0125] Repeat the above steps until N ≥ 300°.

[0126] In this embodiment, the controller can control the intermittent rotation of the drive shaft via the tray drive assembly, thereby causing the tray to rotate by a preset angle. During the tray rotation, the controller records the rotation angle. If the total rotation angle of the tray does not exceed 300° after each rotation stops, the controller will control the tray to rotate again by the preset angle after a preset time interval, until the total rotation angle exceeds 300°. The controller uses the feeding mechanism to intermittently rotate the tray, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the tray rotation and improving the uniformity of the wire exposed to the heated airflow. It should be noted that N≥300° here does not mean that the rotation stops when the total rotation angle of the tray reaches 300°, but rather that after a certain rotation of the tray stops, if N≥300°, no further rotation will be performed. It can be understood that before the last intermittent rotation, the total rotation angle is N<300°, and after the last intermittent rotation, the total rotation angle is N≥300°.

[0127] The material tray can also rotate continuously under the action of the feeding mechanism. Specifically, in one embodiment of this application, controlling the material tray drive assembly to drive the drive shaft to rotate, and driving the material tray to rotate through the drive shaft, includes:

[0128] The control tray drive assembly drives the drive shaft to rotate continuously, and the drive shaft drives the tray to rotate continuously.

[0129] When the rotation time of the drive shaft reaches the first preset time, the control tray drive assembly stops driving the drive shaft to rotate.

[0130] In this embodiment, the controller can control the drive shaft to rotate continuously via the material tray drive assembly, thereby causing the drive shaft to drive the material tray to rotate continuously. When the rotation time of the drive shaft reaches a first preset time (this first preset time can be set to 4 hours or 8 hours, and this application does not limit it), the controller controls the feeding mechanism to stop rotating the material tray, and simultaneously controls the drying mechanism to stop heating. This embodiment ensures that the filament is heated evenly during the drying process by controlling the feeding mechanism to continuously rotate the material tray, avoiding uneven heating of some filaments due to local stagnation, ensuring the consistency of filament heating, and improving the 3D printing effect.

[0131] Understandably, when the tray rotates continuously, if the rotation speed is too fast, the yarn will be subjected to excessive force, increasing the risk of breakage or tangling. It will also lead to uneven heat distribution, potentially causing localized overheating or insufficient drying. Conversely, if the tray rotates too slowly, the yarn will not be heated evenly during the drying process, potentially resulting in localized dampness or incomplete drying. To avoid these problems, in one embodiment of this application, the angular velocity of the tray rotation is W, where 0.01 r / min ≤ W ≤ 2 r / min. This embodiment limits the angular velocity of the tray rotation to ensure the uniformity of the drying effect and the integrity of the yarn, thereby improving the overall system efficiency and stability.

[0132] The material tray can also be driven to rotate by a feeding mechanism. Specifically, the feeding mechanism includes a drive wheel, a driven wheel, and a wire material driving assembly. There is a gap between the drive wheel and the driven wheel. The wire material extends into the gap and contacts the outer peripheral surfaces of the drive wheel and the driven wheel. The wire material driving assembly is driven to the drive wheel. Controlling the feeding mechanism to drive the material tray to rotate includes:

[0133] The control filament drive assembly drives the drive wheel to move the filament toward the 3D printing equipment, and the filament drives the material tray to rotate in the first direction.

[0134] In this embodiment, the head of the wire is installed in the guide channel, and the edge of the wire contacts the outer edges of the drive wheel and the driven wheel. The controller can control the rotation of the wire drive assembly, thereby controlling the rotation of the drive wheel and the driven wheel, which in turn drives the wire and rotates it around the spool containing the wire, thus realizing the rotation of the wire.

[0135] Understandably, when a feeding mechanism drives the material tray to rotate, the movable distance of the filament within the guide channel determines the rotatable angle of the material tray. In one embodiment of this application, the guide channel has a first position and a second position. The first position is positioned closer to the receiving cavity, and the second position is positioned closer to the 3D printing equipment. In one embodiment of this application, the guide channel has an inlet near the receiving cavity and an outlet near the extruder head. The distance from the first position to the inlet is L1, and the distance from the second position to the outlet is L2. L1 and L2 satisfy the following relationship: L1≤80mm, L2≤80mm.

[0136] When the drive wheel moves the filament within the guide channel, the filament head moves from the first position to the second position. This embodiment maximizes the filament's travel within the guide channel by setting the starting point of the filament near the receiving cavity and the ending point near the 3D printing equipment, thereby increasing the filament's rotatable angle, increasing the heatable area of ​​the filament within the filament, and improving the heating effect.

[0137] In one embodiment of this application, the distance between the first position and the second position is A, and the circumference of the material tray is B, where A > 0.35 * B. This embodiment limits the first position, the second position, and the circumference of the material tray to ensure that the material tray can rotate one cycle when the wire moves from the first position to the second position, thereby reducing the dead angle of rotation of the material tray and improving the uniformity of drying of the material tray by the drying mechanism.

[0138] To prevent the wire on the tray from scattering during rotation, in one embodiment of this application, before controlling the tray drive assembly to drive the drive shaft to rotate, the following is further included:

[0139] Obtain the position of the feed line.

[0140] The controller can obtain the position of the wire material through sensors installed on the material tray, or it can obtain the position of the wire material through machine vision. This application does not limit this.

[0141] If the end of the wire is not fixed to the reel, the reel drive component will be prohibited from moving, and the user will be notified by sound or text that the wire is not fixed.

[0142] The audio prompt can be a continuous beeping sound from a buzzer or a preset voice prompt, such as "Please secure the cable." The text prompt can be a message displayed on the screen, such as "The cable is not secured, please check" or "Please secure the cable before continuing." This application does not limit the scope of the prompt.

[0143] In this embodiment, the position of the thread is detected before the tray rotates. If the thread end is not secured to the tray, the controller will not rotate the tray and will remind the user via voice or question that the thread end is not secured. This prevents the user from forgetting to secure the thread, which could cause it to scatter on the tray during the drying process, thus improving the user experience.

[0144] Understandably, in addition to individually driving the material tray to rotate, the feeding and unloading mechanisms can also simultaneously drive the material tray to rotate. Specifically, after controlling the wire material drive assembly to drive the drive wheel to rotate, it also includes:

[0145] The control tray drive assembly drives the drive shaft to rotate, and the drive shaft drives the tray to rotate in the second direction, and the wire moves towards the receiving cavity. The second direction is opposite to the first direction. When the tray drives the wire to move in the guide channel, the head of the wire moves from the second position to the first position.

[0146] In this embodiment, the wire material first moves from a first position to a second position under the action of the feeding mechanism, driving the material tray to rotate in a first direction. When the wire material reaches the second position, the controller controls the unloading mechanism to drive the material tray to rotate in a second direction, bringing the wire material back from the second position to the first position. When the wire material returns to the first position, the controller again controls the feeding mechanism to drive the wire material to move, and the cycle repeats. This embodiment drives the material tray to rotate simultaneously through the feeding and unloading mechanisms. Compared to using the feeding mechanism alone, this method reduces the waiting time of the wire material in the guide channel, improves the smoothness of the material tray rotation, and improves the drying efficiency of the wire material. Compared to using the unloading mechanism alone, in this embodiment, the material tray drive component of the unloading mechanism only needs to drive the drive shaft to rotate in one direction, reducing the energy consumption of the material tray drive component, reducing the need for complex control algorithms for the material tray drive component, reducing the development difficulty and potential failure points of the control system, and improving the reliability and stability of the system.

[0147] To improve the rotation efficiency of the material tray, in one embodiment of this application, the material guide channel has a second position close to the 3D printing equipment and a third position located in the middle of the material guide channel. A filament drive assembly drives the filament from the third position to the second position, and after the filament reaches the second position, the material tray drive assembly drives the filament from the second position to the third position. Alternatively, the material tray drive assembly drives the filament from the third position to the first position, and after the filament reaches the first position, the filament drive assembly drives the filament from the first position to the third position. This embodiment reduces the filament's travel distance within the material guide channel by setting the starting point of the filament in the middle of the material guide channel, thereby reducing the rotation cycle of the material tray by the loading and unloading mechanism, improving the smoothness of the material tray rotation, and enhancing the drying effect of the filament.

[0148] In one embodiment of this application, the farthest distance the end of the thread moves from the third position to the second position is C, the farthest distance the end of the thread moves from the third position to the first position is D, and the circumference of the tray is B, where C+D>0.35*B. This embodiment, by limiting the first position, the third position, and the circumference of the tray, ensures that the tray can rotate one cycle when the thread moves from the first position to the second position, reducing the dead angle of the tray's rotation and improving the uniformity of drying the tray by the drying mechanism.

[0149] This embodiment utilizes the loading and unloading mechanism built into the 3D printing feeding device to drive the material tray to rotate, thereby eliminating the need for a rotating mechanism, reducing the manufacturing cost of the 3D printing feeding device, reducing the size of the 3D printing feeding device, and improving the space utilization rate of the 3D printing feeding device.

[0150] S204. Obtain the initial temperature and determine the third relative humidity range of the cavity based on the initial temperature.

[0151] S205. When the 3D printing feeding device meets the conditions for stopping drying, control the drying mechanism to stop drying and control the loading and unloading mechanism to stop driving the material tray to rotate.

[0152] In this embodiment, when the 3D printing feed device meets the drying stop condition, the controller will stop drying the filament and stop rotating. There are various conditions under which the 3D printing feed device can stop drying. The 3D printing feed device can determine the timing of stopping filament heating based on the drying time. Specifically, in one embodiment of this application, when the drying time of the filament by the 3D printing feed device reaches a first preset time, the controller will control the drying mechanism to stop heating and control the loading and unloading mechanism to stop the rotation of the material tray. This ensures the filament drying effect while avoiding unnecessary energy consumption, thereby saving energy and reducing operating costs.

[0153] The 3D printing feeding device can determine the timing of stopping the heating of the filament by the total rotation angle of the material tray. Specifically, in the first possible embodiment of this application, the controller records the rotation angle of the material tray. When the total rotation angle of the material tray is greater than a preset angle, the controller controls the drying mechanism to stop heating and controls the loading and unloading mechanism to stop the rotation of the material tray. In this way, the 3D printing feeding device can be adjusted according to the actual drying requirements of the material, providing more flexible drying processing and improving the versatility of the 3D printing feeding device.

[0154] The 3D printing feed device can determine when to stop heating the filament by monitoring the relative humidity of the filament chamber. Specifically, in one embodiment of this application, before drying begins, the controller acquires the ambient temperature and records it as the initial temperature. Based on this initial temperature, it determines a third relative humidity range for the filament chamber. When the temperature inside the filament chamber rises above the initial temperature by a preset first temperature threshold, and the relative humidity inside the filament chamber falls within the third relative humidity range, the controller stops the drying mechanism from heating and stops the rotation of the filament tray by controlling the loading and unloading mechanism. By detecting the relative humidity inside the filament chamber and combining it with changes in ambient temperature to determine whether to activate the dehumidification device, the humidity level of the filament's environment can be controlled more precisely. This ensures that the filament remains within the optimal humidity range under different temperature conditions, thereby avoiding a decrease in print quality due to humidity changes and improving the intelligence and adaptability of the 3D printing feed device.

[0155] Meanwhile, to avoid premature dehumidification stoppage, in this embodiment, the dehumidification stoppage condition is related not only to the relative humidity inside the cavity but also to the temperature. The controller will only control the drying mechanism to stop heating and the loading and unloading mechanism to stop the rotation of the material tray when the temperature inside the cavity rises above the initial temperature by a preset first temperature threshold. This avoids premature filament drying caused by a single judgment condition and improves the reliability of the 3D printing feeding device system.

[0156] Understandably, the first temperature threshold and the first preset time mentioned above can be preset values ​​stored in memory or data manually input. For example, before the drying of the wire material begins, different first temperature thresholds and first preset times are manually input according to different wire materials. When drying begins, the controller will control the drying mechanism to dry the wire material according to the manually input first temperature threshold. When the drying time reaches the first preset time, the controller will stop the drying.

[0157] The first temperature threshold and the first preset time can also be autonomously adjusted by the 3D printing feeding device. Specifically, in one embodiment of this application, the filament drying method further includes:

[0158] After the wire is placed into the receiving cavity, the wire information is read.

[0159] The drying parameters of the wire are determined based on the wire information. The drying parameters include drying time and drying temperature. The drying time is recorded as the first preset time, and the drying temperature range is recorded as the first temperature threshold.

[0160] The drying mechanism is controlled to dry the wire material at a first temperature threshold, and the drying of the wire material is stopped when the drying time reaches a first preset time.

[0161] In this embodiment, before the wire is placed into the receiving cavity, it is marked with information that identifies it. This information can be the name, material, or color of the wire. The mark used to record information can be a QR code, an RFID tag, a magnetic strip, or a barcode; this application does not limit this. After the wire is placed into the receiving cavity, the mark on the wire is read by a card reader installed inside the receiving cavity. Based on the read information, the controller can retrieve a function mapping table of wire-drying parameters stored in the memory. This wire-drying parameter can be a function mapping table of wire material and drying time, or a function mapping table of wire material and drying temperature; this application does not limit this. By querying the corresponding wire-drying parameter function mapping table, the controller can determine the optimal drying parameters for the wire (the drying parameters can be the drying time, the drying temperature, or the rotation angle of the tray during drying), thereby drying the wire.

[0162] For example, in one embodiment of this application, the wire material-drying parameter function table is a wire material-drying time-drying temperature table, as follows:

[0163] For example, when the controller reads that the material of the wire placed in the cavity is polylactic acid (PLA), the controller will determine the optimal drying time (8 hours) and optimal drying temperature (55°C) for the wire based on this material. Subsequently, the controller will control the drying mechanism to dry the wire at a first temperature threshold of 50°C to 55°C. Drying will stop when the drying time exceeds 8 hours. In contrast, this embodiment improves the versatility of the drying mechanism and enhances its drying effect on wire by dynamically adjusting the drying parameters based on the wire material or color.

[0164] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship of the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer" and other indicators are based on the orientation or positional relationship of the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0165] The above-disclosed embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes for implementing the above embodiments and equivalent variations made in accordance with the claims of this application are still within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for drying filament, the drying method being applied to a 3D printing feeding device, the 3D printing feeding device comprising a hopper and a drying mechanism, the hopper having an airtight cavity containing filament, the hopper having an air vent communicating with the cavity and the air vent being in air communication with the external environment of the hopper; the drying mechanism being disposed in the cavity, characterized in that, The drying method for the wire includes: When the 3D printing feeding device meets the dehumidification conditions, the air inlet is closed; The drying mechanism is controlled to dry the wire material.

2. The method for drying thread as described in claim 1, characterized in that, After the drying mechanism is controlled to dry the thread, the method further includes: An initial temperature is obtained, and a first relative humidity range of the accommodating cavity is determined, wherein the temperature corresponding to the first relative humidity range is higher than the initial temperature; When the temperature inside the cavity rises to a preset first temperature threshold and the relative humidity inside the cavity is within the first relative humidity range, the air vent is opened to allow the air inside the cavity to be discharged outwards.

3. The method for drying thread as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The 3D printing feeding device also includes air valves, which are respectively located at the air inlets. Each air valve includes a baffle, a swing arm, and an air valve drive assembly. The baffle is movably located in the hopper and has an open position and a closed position. When the baffle is in the open position, the baffle covers the air inlet. When the baffle is in the closed position, the baffle allows the air inlet to be opened. The first end of the swing arm is slidably connected to the slide groove, and the second end is connected to the air valve drive assembly. Closing the air inlet includes: The control valve drive assembly drives the swing arm to swing, and the swing arm drives the baffle to move from the open position to the closed position to close the air port; Opening the air vent includes: The control valve drive assembly drives the swing arm to swing, and the swing arm drives the baffle to move from the closed position to the open position to open the air port.

4. The method for drying thread as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The air inlet includes an air inlet and an air outlet. The air inlet is used to allow gas to flow into the receiving cavity, and the air outlet is used to allow gas to flow out of the exhaust cavity.

5. The method for drying thread as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drying mechanism includes a fan and a heating element. The fan is used to generate a drying airflow within the accommodating cavity, and the heating element is used to heat the drying airflow. Controlling the drying mechanism to dry the wire on the tray includes: Turn on the fan to create a drying airflow; Turn on the heating element to heat the drying airflow.

6. The method for drying thread as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The dehumidification conditions include: receiving a dehumidification command, and / or, Get the last dehumidification time, and when the time interval since the last dehumidification reaches a second preset time; and / or, When the hopper door is closed; and / or, When the temperature inside the cavity is at a preset temperature, and the relative humidity inside the silo is within a preset second relative humidity range.

7. The method for drying thread as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The hopper is also provided with a feeding channel, which is connected to the receiving cavity; the 3D printing feeding device also includes a material tray and a loading / unloading mechanism, the filament reel is rotatably disposed in the receiving cavity, the filament is wound around the filament reel, the loading / unloading mechanism is used to drive the filament to move in the guiding channel, and after the drying mechanism is controlled to start drying the filament, it also includes: The loading and unloading mechanism drives the material tray to rotate continuously, and the rotation speed of the material tray is W, where 0.01 r / min ≤ W ≤ 2 r / min, or... The loading and unloading mechanism is controlled to drive the tray to rotate by a predetermined angle or for a predetermined time, and after a preset time interval, the loading and unloading mechanism drives the tray to rotate again.

8. The method for drying thread as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The method of controlling the loading and unloading mechanism to drive the tray to rotate continuously, or controlling the loading and unloading mechanism to drive the tray to rotate by a predetermined angle or a predetermined time, and then driving the tray to rotate again by the loading and unloading mechanism after a preset time interval, further includes: Obtain the initial temperature, and determine the third relative humidity range of the cavity based on the initial temperature; When the 3D printing feeding device meets the conditions for stopping drying, it controls the drying mechanism to stop drying and controls the loading and unloading mechanism to stop driving the material tray to rotate. The conditions for stopping drying include: the 3D printing feeding device drying the filament for a first preset time, and / or, The temperature rise within the accommodating cavity is preset to a first temperature threshold, and the relative humidity within the accommodating cavity is within the third relative humidity range; and / or, The total rotation angle of the material tray is greater than the preset angle.

9. The method for drying thread as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The loading and unloading mechanism includes a loading mechanism and an unloading mechanism. The unloading mechanism is used to drive the filament to move from the 3D printing equipment toward the guide channel. The unloading mechanism includes a drive shaft and a tray drive assembly. The drive shaft is rotatably connected to the receiving cavity. The outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tray. The tray drive assembly is connected to the drive shaft. The loading and unloading mechanism is controlled to drive the tray to rotate. The loading mechanism is used to drive the filament to move from the guide channel toward the 3D printing equipment. The loading mechanism includes a drive wheel, a driven wheel, and a filament drive assembly. There is a gap between the drive wheel and the driven wheel. The filament extends into the gap and contacts the outer peripheral surfaces of the drive wheel and the driven wheel. The wire drive assembly is driven by the drive wheel; After the air valve is closed, the method further includes: During the drying process, the material tray drive assembly is controlled to drive the drive shaft to rotate, so that the drive shaft drives the material tray to rotate; And / or, control the filament drive assembly to drive the drive wheel to rotate, so that the drive wheel drives the filament to move toward the 3D printing equipment, and drives the material tray to rotate through the filament; Obtain the initial temperature, and determine the first relative humidity range of the accommodating cavity based on the initial temperature; When the temperature inside the cavity rises to a preset first temperature threshold and the relative humidity inside the cavity is within the third relative humidity range, the air vent is opened to allow the air inside the cavity to be discharged outwards.

10. A storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a drying program for the wire material, which is executed by a controller to implement the wire material drying method as described in any one of claims 1-9.

11. A 3D printing feeding device, characterized in that, The 3D printing feeding device includes a controller and a memory, the memory being used to store computer instructions, and the controller being used to invoke the computer instructions to execute the filament drying method as described in any one of claims 1-9.

Images