Building 3D printer

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of construction, namely, a building 3D printer. The building 3D printer includes a base (1) and a vertical guide column (3). A movement unit is installed on the guide column (3). A main boom (6) is attached to a support and rotation device (5) of the movement unit. An auxiliary boom (7) is installed on the remote end of the main boom (6). An extrusion unit (8) is fixed to the extended end of the auxiliary boom (7), connected via a solution supply pipeline (9) to a mixing unit (10). The equipment for preparing a solution of the mixing unit (10) is installed on the support and rotation device (5). The base (1) contains an x-shaped four-end frame (22). An automated support (2) is installed on each extended end of the frame (22). Each support (2) contains a lifting mechanism installed in a housing (23), which contains a stepper motor (24) connected to a reducer (26). The stepper motor (24) is connected to a control and information-processing unit. The reducer (26) includes a movable plate (29) with sliders (28) mounted on the reducer (26) and a support nut (36).

Description

[0001] BUILDING 3D PRINTER

[0002] The invention relates to the field of construction, namely a construction 3D printer.

[0003] A construction 3D printer is a device that can be used to build structures by pushing layers of a paste-like solution (concrete) through a nozzle. 3D printing in the construction industry helps to save time, effort, and materials compared to traditional construction methods.

[0004] The MaxiPrinter 3D construction printer is known from the prior art, which has a base with four-point supports with hydraulic drive and two booms - main and auxiliary. They have a thinwalled, telescopic design. The main boom is mounted on base with the ability to rotate, extend longitudinally, and turn in a vertical plane. An auxiliary boom is mounted on the free end of the main boom with the ability to rotate in a vertical plane and move longitudinally. Each boom can move in a vertical plane using hydraulic drives [https: / / en.constructions-3d.com / en / maxiprinter].

[0005] The disadvantage of this 3D printer is the small size of the working area and, as a result, the need for constant relocation, which increases the risk of errors and leads to the need to clean the solution supply pipeline each time after installing the 3D printer in a new location. Another disadvantage is the need to equip the 3D printer with means of independent movement around the construction site, which leads to an increase in its cost, total weight, and maintenance complexity, as well as the need for highly qualified personnel. The hydraulic drives used to position the boom are equipped with a complex control system.

[0006] The Apis Cor construction 3D printer is known to contain a telescopic boom consisting of a main and auxiliary booms, with the telescopic boom mounted on base using a hydraulic mechanism with the ability to move vertically and rotate in a horizontal plane, as well as a print head mounted on the free end of the auxiliary boom furthest from the base when extended [https: / / apis-cor.com].

[0007] This construction 3D printer has the same disadvantages as its predecessor. In addition, it contains a massive boom, heavy linear guides that require additional protection, a complex hydraulic lifting mechanism that requires stabilization and additional protection (e.g., a corrugated cover that absorbs wind loads).-

[0008] A construction 3D printer is known that includes a base, a vertical guide column mounted on the base, a main boom mounted on the column with the ability to move vertically and rotate in a horizontal plane, an auxiliary an arrow mounted on the extended end of the main arrow with the ability to rotate in a horizontal plane, a printing head mounted on the free end of the auxiliary arrow, and a mixing unit connected by a solution pipe to the printing head, in which the mixing unit is mounted on the end of the main arrow, free from the auxiliary boom [UA 155535 U, IPC: B29C 64 / 20, B29C64 / 209, B33Y 30 / 00, E04G 21 / 20, published on 06.03.2024, bulletin No. 10],

[0009] The disadvantage of this 3D printer is that the guide column consists of three parts, and the upper part does not need to be disassembled for transportation or for easy removal of the 3D printer from the construction site. The guide column, made of three parts, is heavy and more labor- intensive to manufacture production, as it has more mating surfaces and fastening elements.

[0010] Also, the 3D printer design lacks means for supporting the dry mixture pipeline from the pneumatic transport unit of the mixing unit, so it must be supported and guided by hand, which makes it difficult to operate.

[0011] The heavy drive of the auxiliary boom, which is installed on the extended end of the main of the boom, creates an additional overturning moment of inertia and is not rigid enough for a large lever arm. A driven gear of the drive is fixed on the axis of rotation of the auxiliary boom, which has a significant diameter and increases the overall dimensions of the printer when folded.

[0012] The driven gear is not equipped with protective devices and is open, which significantly increases the likelihood of foreign objects getting into the gear.

[0013] The mixing unit uses a PFT G4 plastering station, which is designed for preparing mixtures with a high water concentration and does not contain any means for precise dosing.

[0014] Construction mixtures for 3D printing require a much lower water concentration, so its dosing must be more accurate.

[0015] The four-point support system does not provide for even distribution load between the cross-located pairs of supports, which leads to instability of the 3D printer during printing.

[0016] There is a known device for the layer-by-layer fabrication of three-dimensional structures, comprising a base, a vertical guide column mounted on the base, a main arm mounted on a carriage with vertical movement and rotation in the horizontal plane, and an auxiliary arm mounted on the extended end of the main boom with the ability to rotate in the horizontal plane, and a printing head mounted on the free end of the auxiliary boom [UA 151814 U, IPC: B29C 64 / 106, B29C 64 / 209, E04B 1 / 16, published on 14.09.2022, bulletin No. 37],

[0017] Such a device, which has a basic SCARA design (i.e., a lever mechanism), can rotate around its own central axis in any direction, with a rotation angle of 370°.

[0018] The central axis of the installation in the lower part of the structure is fixed and supported by a metal profile frame. A support and slewing mechanism (SSM) is fixed on the central axis, which is designed to lift and lower and is used to lift and lower the load-bearing boom, which is fixed at its starting point to the rotating part of the SSM.

[0019] The support and slewing mechanism consists of two moving parts. The support part is rigidly fixed to the central axis and moves the support and slewing mechanism up and down along the central axis.

[0020] The support and slewing mechanism also allows the boom to be rotated through 370°.

[0021] At the end of the boom, directed from the central axis to the outside of the installation, there is a hinge-swivel mechanism for attaching an additional swivel boom with a rotation angle of 170°, the change in the angle of rotation of which relative to the boom during 3D construction printing allows changing the trajectory of the print line.

[0022] An extrusion unit with interchangeable nozzles is fixed at the end of the additional rotating boom, which enables additive construction printing by means of layer-by-layer formation of the building structure.

[0023] The specified installation was selected as the closest analogue.

[0024] The closest analogue and the claimed device have the following common features:

[0025] - base on which the vertical guide column is mounted;

[0026] - a movement unit installed on the guide column;

[0027] - main boom, attached to the support-rotation device of the movement unit;

[0028] - main boom, installed with the possibility of vertical movement and rotation in the horizontal plane;

[0029] - auxiliary boom, installed on the extended end of the main boom with the possibility of rotation in the horizontal plane;

[0030] - an extrusion unit fixed to the extended end of the auxiliary boom and connected via a solution supply pipe to the mixing unit.

[0031] The disadvantages of the closest analogue are the significant length of the solution supply pipeline solution, since its mixing unit is a separate device and is located on a considerable distance - 30. ..40 m from the extrusion unit of the construction mixture. Such a length of the pipeline for supplying the solution increases the likelihood of the formation of pockets of solidified solution in it, especially when exposed to direct sunlight. When pumping the solution over long distances, dynamic and static resistances arise, which constantly change, which can lead to stratification of the solution inside the pipeline, significantly affecting the strength of the finished structure, and can also lead to the loss of the solution's pumpability, which in turn leads to damage to the pipeline. The need to pump over longer distances also requires more elements for transporting the solution, which increases the cost of the mixture itself mixture. It should be noted that the passage of the solution through a long pipeline takes a certain amount of time, which in turn leads to a delay between changes in the solution parameters (for example, an increase or decrease in the water concentration in the mixing unit to adjust the consistency of the mixture) and visual control of the laying of layers. Also, the significant length of the pipeline leads to an increase in solution waste that cannot be used.

[0032] The closest analogue does not provide for electronic components directly on the unit, i.e., they are installed separately, remotely, which requires laying a large number of wires from the unit to the electrical cabinet, complicating preparation for printing, and there are no elements for laying these communications, which significantly reduces reliability.

[0033] The base has a three-point support system, which requires a long support length to counteract the significant overturning moments that arise due to the absence of a counterweight on the main boom, which leads to an increase in the unused printing area.

[0034] The supports do not have electric drives and therefore require manual installation, which increases the time required to deploy the installation on site and increases manual labor. The installation column is also triangular and contains machine guides that are prone to corrosion and sensitive to contamination. The odd number of sides requires the use of a single lifting mechanism, which does not meet safety requirements and unevenly loads the carriage, or three lifting mechanisms, which increases the cost of installation.

[0035] The invention is based on the task of creating a 3D construction printer in which, by introducing new components, different designs of known components, and different arrangements of components relative to each other, a significant reduction in the weight and dimensions of the device is achieved, along with simplified operation, increased energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, and improved stability of the solution ( concrete or mortar mixture), simplify adjustment its consistency, reduce the amount of waste, quality control of 3D printing and technological solutions in real time through automation.

[0036] The task is solved by the fact that in a construction 3D printer, which contains a base, on which is installed vertical spatial guide column, node movement, installed on the guide column, attached to the support-rotating device of the movement unit spatial main boom, installed with the possibility of vertical movement and with the possibility of rotation in the horizontal plane, a spatial auxiliary boom mounted on the extended end of the main boom with the possibility of rotation in the horizontal plane, an extrusion unit fixed on the extended end auxiliary boom and connected via a solution supply pipe to the mixing unit, according to the invention, the guide column is collapsible, the guide column, the main boom and the auxiliary boom are made of square-section profile elements, the movement unit for vertical movement contains a carriage, equipment for preparing solution mixing unit installed on support-rotating devices on the side opposite to that on which the main boom is located, the base contains an X-shaped four-ended frame, on each of the extended ends of which an automated support is installed, each support containing a lifting mechanism installed in the housing, including a stepper motor connected to an encoder, a gearbox connected to the stepper motor, the shaft of which is connected to one end of the drive screw of the executive mechanism, which also contains a movable plate with sliders installed on the gearbox and a support nut installed on a flange, which is rigidly fixed to the lower part of the housing, the other end of the lead screw is connected to a support plate by means of a ball bearing, and the space between the support plate and the lower part of the housing is closed by a corrugated protective cover, the stepper motor being connected to the control and information processing unit control and information processing unit.

[0037] The claimed construction 3D printer may additionally include a linear actuator mounted with one end on a hinged support of the main boom and with the other end on a hinged support of the auxiliary boom.

[0038] The construction 3D printer may additionally contain sunshades visors, installed above the solution supply pipeline (concrete or mortar mixture).

[0039] The construction 3D printer includes a software and hardware complex with a main control module, a base alignment module, and a concrete unit control module, a web interface, and a 3D printer operation logging unit.

[0040] In a construction 3D printer, the main control module contains a proprietary module for data exchange with the electromechanical elements of the 3D printer, a data exchange unit and data transfer unit, and a command validator.

[0041] In a construction 3D printer, the concrete unit control module contains: a dry mix feed control unit, a manual water feed control unit, an automatic water volume control unit in the solution, a valve control unit, a for controlling the mixing and supply of the solution, and a control unit for auxiliary units.

[0042] The achievement of the stated technical result is explained as follows.

[0043] Base design.

[0044] The presence of two pairs of base supports (four-point design) reduces the unused surface area around the 3D printer by reducing the length of the supports, with increased stability against tipping compared to a three-point support system. Since the four-point design requires an even distribution of the load between the cross-located pairs of supports, special automated supports have been developed. The support design ensures a stable position of the 3D printer throughout the entire operating period, unlike the hydraulic alignment systems. Instead of expensive servo motors or load cells, stepper motors equipped with encoders are used, which reduces the size, weight, and cost of the device, as well as increasing reliability.

[0045] The base design reduces the unused surface area around the 3D printer by reducing the length of the support arms, with increased resistance to ipping compared to a three-point support system. Guide column design.

[0046] The claimed 3D construction printer has a four-sided vertical guide column of spatial construction mounted on the base.

[0047] This guide column design has greater rigidity and lower weight compared to an all-metal structure, which helps reduce the impact of wind loads, allows the mixing unit to be installed directly on the printer as a counterweight to the main boom, and makes it possible to increase the reach of the entire boom, which, in turn, allows all necessary construction operations to be performed with a single installation of the 3D printer. This means that there is no need to constantly relocate the 3D printer and, accordingly, no need to use a tracked chassis.

[0048] If there is no need to move the base of the 3D printer, the risk of errors during re-leveling is reduced. There is no need for additional flushing of the system from the solution (between movements of the device on the construction site).

[0049] The guide column has a tetrahedral shape, with an even number of side sides, which allows two lifting mechanisms to be installed and the load to be evenly distributed between them, which increases the reliability and safety of the carriage lifting mechanism. The guide column consists of square-section profile elements: vertical, horizontal, and angled. The vertical profile elements include two internal ones (where the gear racks are installed, which are used to engage the lifting mechanism of the carriage) and four side ones (on which milled platforms are installed, which act as guides along which the rollers installed on the lifting carriage move). The rollers have a polyurethane coating that does not damage the paint-coated guides, which contributes to increased resistance to external influences. Horizontally installed profile elements with a pitch of 790 mm not only ensure the rigidity of the structure, but also absorb the compressive force of the rollers installed on the carriage. Angled elements ensure the rigidity of the guide column as a whole; they are located between the horizontal elements at an angle of 40° to the vertical elements.

[0050] The guide column is collapsible and consists of several parts (usually two). The- parts of the guide column can be of equal or different lengths and are connected to each other by a flange connection equipped with cylindrical guides and bolt connections. Each part of the guide column has its own toothed rack.

[0051] This collapsible design facilitates the transportation of the 3D printer.

[0052] Movement unit design.

[0053] The 3D printer has a movement unit mounted on the guide column. The movement unit includes a carriage that moves the main part of the boom vertically relative to the guide column using a toothed rack, and a support and rotation device that rotates the main part of the boom in a horizontal plane.

[0054] Boom design.

[0055] The construction printer contains two booms - a main boom and an auxiliary boom made of square aluminum profile elements, which are connected to each other by welding in an inert gas environment, which increases rigidity and reliability of the structure while maintaining a relatively low weight (which, accordingly, reduces the moment of inertia, which reduces energy consumption), reduces the impact of wind loads, and simplifies manufacturing.

[0056] The main boom is mounted on a slewing device of the movement unit, which allows it to rotate around the carriage, which only moves longitudinally along the guide column (raises or lowers).

[0057] The main boom is designed to rotate in the horizontal plane around the carriage by 260° in one direction and 260° in the other. Rotation is carried out by means of a support-rotary device with a gear ring, into which a drive wheel is engaged, mounted on a planetary gearbox with a servomotor, which, in turn, are fixed relative to the boom on the carriage.

[0058] An auxiliary boom is mounted on the free end of the main boom with the ability to rotate in the horizontal plane by 165° in one direction, which is carried out by means of a linear actuator. The linear actuator is mounted with one end on the hinged support of the main boom and with the other end on the hinged support of the auxiliary boom.

[0059] The use of a linear actuator is justified by its design: the heavy servomotor that drives the auxiliary part of the boom is located closer to the axis of the 3D printer, and the force is transmitted by a relatively light rod, which reduces the moment of inertia on the main part of the boom.

[0060] Extrusion unit design.

[0061] The extrusion unit contains a nozzle mounted on the end of a stainless steel tube. The nozzle is printed on a 3D printer and can have different shapes depending on the required composition and consistency of the solution. A pinch valve is installed on the pipe. The free end of the pipe is connected to the solution supply pipe, which is connected to the mixing unit.

[0062] Since the length of the solution supply pipe is reduced, the stability of the solution flow is ensured without the need for additional dosing elements. The procedure for flushing the solution supply pipe is also less complicated.

[0063] Design and location of the mixing unit.

[0064] The mixing unit contains equipment for automated preparation.

[0065] Plastering station PFT-G4, Knauf, Germany, and pneumatic transport unit, e.g., PFT Silomat trans plus, Knauf, Germany. The possibility of using standardized and readily available equipment as mixing unit components reduces the cost of auxiliary elements and materials, such as the screw pair that mixes the spiral, the mixing chamber, etc.

[0066] The equipment for automated preparation of mortar in the mixing unit is located on a support and swivel device on the side opposite the main boom.

[0067] This arrangement:

[0068] - compensates for the force acting on the end of the auxiliary boom during operation of the 3D printer, with the risk of disrupting its horizontal position, i.e., acts as a counterweight;

[0069] - allows to significantly reduce the distance of mortar transportation from the mixing unit to the extrusion unit nozzle, which minimizes the influence of the sun on the mortar, contributes to its stability and simplifies consistency adjustment - for example, the length of the mortar supply pipeline is 11 m with the boom (main and auxiliary parts) fully extended to 8.5 m;

[0070] - ensures the compactness of the 3D printer.

[0071] During the development of the device, a PFT-G4 plastering station (Knauf, Germany) was used in the mixing unit, but with some modifications:

[0072] - for a more stable water supply to the mixing chamber, the centrifugal pump was replaced with a screw pump driven by a stepper motor, and an encoder was installed on the asynchronous motor of the working mixture feed pump, which made it possible to apply the principle of an electronic reducer and increase the accuracy of the water volume dosing into the mixing chamber.

[0073] - a check valve is installed directly in front of the mixing chamber inlet to prevent water (in the pipeline between the pump and the mixing chamber) from flowing freely into the mixing chamber and to prevent the solution from flowing out of the mixing chamber into the water supply pipeline.

[0074] Presence of sun visors.

[0075] The claimed 3D construction printer may additionally include sun visors. The solution supply pipe is permanently installed on the side of the boom, which allows L-shaped sun visors to be fixed over most of it.

[0076] The main control module ensures the printer moves along a set path at a set speed.

[0077] The base alignment module ensures the verticality of the column (keeps the column from deviating from the vertical in any direction within specified limits).

[0078] The concrete unit (station) control module provides automated and manual control and regulation of the parameters of dry construction mix feeding, water feeding, mixing, and concrete and mortar mix delivery, which contributes to the stability of the technological process and improving the quality of 3D printing

[0079] The claimed invention is explained by the drawings, where: Fig. 1 - general view of a 3D construction printer;

[0080] Fig. 2 - side view of a construction 3D printer; Fig. 3- diagram of the base of a construction 3D printer;

[0081] Fig. 4 - support for the base of the construction 3D printer;

[0082] Fig. 5 - graph of torque dependence on the rotation frequency of the stepper motor;

[0083] Fig. 6 - Block diagram of the 3D printer hardware and software complex;

[0084] Fig. 7 - Block diagram of the main control module;

[0085] Fig. 8 - Block diagram of the base alignment module;

[0086] Fig. 9 - Block diagram of the concrete unit (station) control module.

[0087] Designations in the drawing:

[0088] 1 - base;

[0089] 2 - base support;

[0090] 3 - guide column;

[0091] 4 - movement unit carriage;

[0092] 5 - support and rotation device of the movement unit;

[0093] 6 - main boom;

[0094] 7 - auxiliary boom;

[0095] 8 - extrusion unit;

[0096] 9 - solution supply pipeline;

[0097] 10 - equipment for automated preparation of construction solution of the mixing unit;

[0098] 11 - filter unit of the pneumatic mixing unit;

[0099] 12 - pipeline for of dry mixture from pneumatic transport mixing unit;

[0100] 13-rotary guide that supports the dry mixture supply pipe from the pneumatic transport unit of the mixing unit;

[0101] 14 - water tank for the mixing unit;

[0102] 15 - extrusion unit nozzle;

[0103] 16 - vertical guides of guide column 3;

[0104] 17 - stiffening ribs of guide column 3;

[0105] 18 - toothed rail, by which the and and the of the movement unit;

[0106] 19 - linear actuator;

[0107] 20 - radial cable guide;

[0108] 21 - sun visors;

[0109] 22 - base frame;

[0110] 23 - housing; 24 - stepper motor;

[0111] 25 - encoder;

[0112] 26 - gearbox;

[0113] 27 - lead screw;

[0114] 28 - slide;

[0115] 29 - movable plate;

[0116] 30 - protective cover;

[0117] 31 - ball bearing;

[0118] 32 - support plate;

[0119] 33 - electrical connector;

[0120] 34 - wire;

[0121] 35 - flange;

[0122] 36 - support nut;

[0123] 37 - Software and hardware complex;

[0124] 38 - main control module

[0125] 39 - data reception and transmission unit;

[0126] 40 - proprietary module (interpolator)

[0127] 41 - telemetry acquisition unit;

[0128] 42 - control sequence data reception and transmission unit;

[0129] 43 - G-code processing unit;

[0130] 44 - communicator with concrete node;

[0131] 45 - communicator with base alignment module

[0132] 46 - base alignment module;

[0133] 47 - communication interface of the base alignment module;

[0134] 48 - logging and telemetry system of the base leveling module;

[0135] 49 - automatic leveling unit;

[0136] 50 - manual control of the leg drives;

[0137] 51 - concrete unit (station) control module;

[0138] 52 - communication interface of the concrete unit (station) control module;

[0139] 53 - logging and telemetry system of the concrete unit (station) control module;

[0140] 54 - mixing and solution supply control unit;

[0141] 55 - damper control unit;

[0142] 56 - dry mix feed control unit;

[0143] 57 - auxiliary unit service control unit;

[0144] 58 - manual water supply control; 59 - automatic water volume control unit in concrete and mortar mixes

[0145] 60 - WEB interface for printer control

[0146] 61 - 3D printer operation logging unit

[0147] Construction 3D printer (see Fig. 1) includes a base 1 mounted on supports 2, a vertical guide column 3 mounted on the base 1, a movement unit, an arrow, an extrusion unit 8, a mixing unit (not shown separately), and a solution supply pipe 9.

[0148] The movement unit is located on the guide column 3 and includes a carriage 4 (which ensures the vertical movement of the main part of the boom relative to the guide column 3 by means of a toothed rack 18) and a support and rotation device 5 (which ensures the rotation of the main part of the boom in the horizontal plane).

[0149] The main boom 6 is mounted on the guide column 3 by means of a movement unit, with the possibility of vertical movement (by means of the carriage 4) and with the possibility of rotation in the horizontal plane (using a support and turning device 5).

[0150] The auxiliary boom 7 is mounted on the extended end of the main boom 6 with the possibility of rotation in the horizontal plane using a linear actuator 19.

[0151] At the free end of the auxiliary arrow 7, there is a nozzle 15 of the extrusion unit 8.

[0152] The mixing unit is connected to the nozzle 15 of the extrusion unit 8 and contains equipment for automated preparation of mortar 10 and a pneumatic transport unit (not shown separately), a filter unit 11 (where the dry mixture is separated from the compressed air), connected to the dry mixture supply pipeline 12 for supplying the dry mixture. The rotary guide 13 supports the pipeline 12 for supplying the dry mixture. The tank 14 for the mixing unit is designed to prevent air from entering the water pressure line when the water supply source is replaced and to store an emergency water supply for cleaning the mortar supply pipeline 9.

[0153] The mixing unit is installed at the end of the main boom 6, free from the auxiliary boom 7.

[0154] The guide column 3 is made of a single piece and contains four vertical guides 16, connected along their entire length by stiffening ribs 17.

[0155] The radial cable guide 20 ensures the correct position of the communications when the main boom 6 is rotated.

[0156] Base 1 contains an X-shaped four-ended frame 22, on each extended end of which an automated support 2 is installed, with the possibility of automatic leveling on the working surface.

[0157] Each support 2 contains a lifting mechanism installed in the housing 23, which includes a stepper motor 24, to which an absolute encoder 25 is connected, a planetary gearbox 26 connected to the stepper motor 24, wherein the shaft of the planetary gearbox 26 of the planetary gearbox 26 is connected to one end of the lead screw 27 of the executive mechanism, which also contains a movable plate 29 with sliders 28 and a support nut 36 mounted on the gearbox, which is rigidly fixed to the lower part of the housing 23. The second end of the lead screw 27 is connected to the support plate 32 by means of a ball bearing 31. The space between the support plate 32 and the lower part of the housing 23 is closed by a corrugated protective cover 30. In addition, the stepper motor 24 is connected to a separately installed control and information processing unit (not shown in the drawing) via a wire 34 connected to an electrical connector 33.

[0158] The feature of stepper motors that they lose torque as the rotation speed increases is used.

[0159] When the torque exceeds the specified, the stepper motor stops performing the steps fed to it, which is immediately detected by the encoder used to determine the position of the support - this is the so-called "trigger moment." Fig. 5 shows a graph of the dependence of the torque of a stepper motor on the rotational speed.

[0160] Base 1 is used as follows.

[0161] Frame 22, on each extended end of which an automated support 2 is installed (i.e., a total of four supports), is installed on an uneven working surface. In this case, one of the pairs of supports 2 takes the main load, and the other pair of supports 2 is only partially loaded (one of the supports 2 may even hang in the air). All stepper motors 24 of the supports 2 are started at a speed at which the torque is insufficient to lift the entire of the structure, but sufficient for even load distribution between the pairs of supports 2.

[0162] The stepper motors of the 24 pairs of supports 2 that bear the main load immediately begin to skip steps, which are recorded by the encoders 25, and send a signal to the microcontroller, and the supply of steps to this pair of supports 2 is stopped.

[0163] The supply of steps to the unloaded pair of supports 2 continues until the stepper of this pair of supports 2 also start to skip steps. From this moment on, it can be assumed that the load between the pairs of supports 2 is evenly distributed.

[0164] Then, install the 3D printer in a horizontal position at a lower speed at which it is possible to lift the device completely. The accuracy of the installation is controlled by an electronic inclinometer (not shown in the drawing).

[0165] The 3D printer may also include sun visors 16, which are installed above most of the solution supply pipe 9.

[0166] The claimed 3D construction printer operates as follows.

[0167] To ensure three-dimensional printing, the nozzle 15 of the extrusion unit 8 must move in a cylindrical coordinate system.

[0168] For vertical movement of the nozzle 15, the main boom 6 is moved vertically along the guide column 3 by means of a carriage 4. For the movement of the nozzle 15 along the radius of the cylindrical coordinate system, the main boom 6 and the auxiliary boom 7 are rotated simultaneously in the horizontal plane by the same angle in opposite directions.

[0169] For the nozzle 15 to move in a circle, the main boom 6 is rotated in the horizontal plane.

[0170] The main boom 6 is rotated by means of a support and rotation device 5 fixed to the carriage 4 of the movement unit.

[0171] Extrusion is carried out by means of a screw pair installed on the equipment for automated preparation of building mortar 10 (for example, plastering PFT-G4 station, Knauf, Germany), the feed of which is proportional to the speed of rotation of the motor shaft that drives it. When printing is stopped for idle movement or a technological pause, the motor shaft is stopped and compressed air is supplied to the check valve, thereby maintaining the working pressure in the mortar supply pipeline 9. Printing is performed layer by layer with each layer being held for 5 to 10 minutes.

[0172] By installing equipment for automated preparation of mortar 10 of the mixing unit on the support-rotating device 5 on the side opposite the main boom, the minimum distance for transporting mortar through the mortar supply pipe 9 from the mixing unit to the nozzle 15 of the extrusion unit 8 is ensured.

[0173] The software and hardware complex 37 of the 3D printer includes a main control module 38, a base alignment module 46, a concrete unit (station) control module 51 , a WEB interface 60, and a 3D printer operation logging unit 61.

[0174] The main control module 38 ensures the movement of the printer along a given trajectory at a given speed and acceleration and contains:

[0175] - proprietary module (interpolator) 51 for data exchange with electromechanical elements of the 3D printer

[0176] - block 46 for data exchange and transmission between the main control module 38, module 46 base alignment module 46 and concrete unit (station) control module 51, command validator, and telemetry data collection unit 60, and control unit 61 receiving and transmitting control sequence data, a web server. In this case, block 61 receiving and transmitting control sequence data contains a communicator 44 with a concrete plant, a communicator 45 with base alignment, and a control command processing unit 43.

[0177] The data exchange and transmission unit 46 maintains a permanent connection between the Main module 38 control, module 46 base alignment module and provides the following characteristics of the 3D printer:

[0178] - maximum number of independent axes that can be controlled simultaneously - 5;

[0179] - maximum control pulse frequency - 200 kHz.

[0180] - control of the current position of the printer along each axis using absolute encoders (minimum resolution — 17 bits), data interface — RS485;

[0181] - maximum deviation of the actual printer position from the set position — 0.1 mm (at any point of the print field);

[0182] - Kinematics types supported by the interpolator: two-section SCARA, radial kinematics in polar coordinates;

[0183] - types of interpolator supported by 38.2 main unit 38 geometric control primitives: straight line with / without printing, arcs with movement along free trajectory to a given point;

[0184] - interpolator interpolator 51, which can be adjusted: speed, maximum acceleration, minimum angle for passing without stopping (available only to developers);

[0185] - maximum number of blocks for which the main control module 38 can control data transfer control - can be increased to 7-10.

[0186] Module 46 for base alignment contains a block 50 for manual control of the leg drives and a block 49 for automatic base alignment, a logging and telemetry system 48, and a communication interface 47, and exchanges data with the electromechanical elements of the 3D printer.

[0187] If base alignment 1 is required, as determined by the user (operator) when installing the 3D printer in a new printing location or adjusting between print cycles, the base alignment module 46 ensures the vertically of column 3 (keeps the column from deviating from the vertical in any direction within specified limits).

[0188] Automatic alignment of column 3 is performed with the following characteristics:

[0189] - maximum deviation of column 3 from the vertical position after the alignment procedure — 0.05°;

[0190] - maximum alignment time of column 3 - 15 min.

[0191] Module 40 for controlling the concrete unit (station) contains: block 56 for controlling for dry mixture supply, block 58 for manual water supply control, unit 59 for automatic regulation of the volume of water in the concrete and mortar mixture, unit 55 for damper control, unit 54 for mixing and mortar feed control, unit 57 for auxiliary unit service control, system 53 for module logging and telemetr of concrete unit (station) control and communication 52 concrete unit (station) control module interface.

[0192] The concrete plant (station) control module 51 provides automated and manual control and regulation of the parameters for feeding dry construction mix, water, and mixing and feeding concrete and mortar mix, which contributes to the stability technological process, in particular:

[0193] - unit 58 controls the parameters of water supply to the mixture in the range of 10-90%, which is determined as the volume of water (ml) per 1 liter of mixture,

[0194] - unit 56 controls the supply of dry mixture, activates and deactivates the dry mixture supply motor and the mixer hopper in accordance with the specified process parameters;

[0195] - block 59 provides dynamic adjustment of the water supply volume depending on the mixture feed rate, ensuring the stability of its consistency and physical and mechanical properties,

[0196] - block 54 determines and sets the operating mode of the concrete unit: Manual mode - the operator manually adjusts the feed parameters, Automatic mode - the system performs 20 adaptive adjustment of the ratio of dry mixture and water feed to ensure optimal consistency,

[0197] - unit 55 provides automatic opening and closing of the damper to regulate the flow of concrete mixture in the concrete pipe,

[0198] - unit 57 controls the mixing and feed parameters of the mixture - the speed of rotation of the mixture feed screw is measured and the speed of the mixture feed screw is regulated in the range of 0 - 400 r / min;

[0199] - Block 53 provides real-time monitoring of parameters and continuous control of key technological parameters with the possibility of rapid adjustment, implementation of water supply calibration algorithms to improve dosing accuracy and ensure the stability of concrete mix quality.

[0200] Using the WEB interface 60, the user receives up-to-date data on the printer status via WebSocket or SignalR communication protocols, which provide real-time two-way data exchange. The user can send commands to change printing parameters such as speed, acceleration, mixture feed, etc., using API requests or WebSocket messages to instantly affect the printer's operation.

[0201] The received data about the printer's position (e.g., axis coordinates) is processed by the system and transmitted to a web page, where Three.js displays a moving 3D model of the printer, allowing the user to observe the printing process in real time.

[0202] Block 61, printer operation logging, provides a log that includes a record of all executed control commands for further analysis, a log of all configuration changes (speed, acceleration, mixture proportions), and a record of important events, including errors and emergency conditions.

[0203] The invention, that is claimed, provides a significant reduction in mass and dimensions device parameters (in relation to the working area), simplification of operation, improvement of energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, improvement of solution stability, simplification of consistency adjustment, reduction of waste, and the ability to quickly manage the process and quality of 3D printing through automation.

Claims

C l a i m s1. A construction 3D printer comprising a base on which a vertical guide column is mounted, a movement unit mounted on the guide column, attached to support and rotating device of the movement unit a main boom installed with the possibility of vertical movement and rotation in the horizontal plane, an auxiliary boom installed on the extended end of the main boom with the possibility of rotation in the horizontal plane, an extrusion unit fixed to the extended end of the auxiliary boom and connected via a solution supply pipe to a mixing unit unit, which is different in that the guide column is detachable, the guide column, the main boom and the auxiliary boom are made of square section profile elements, the movement unit for vertical movement contains a carriage, the equipment for preparing the solution of the mixing unit is installed on a supportrotating device on the side opposite to that on which the main boom is located, the base has an X- shaped four-ended frame, with an automated support installed on each extended end, each support containing a lifting mechanism installed in the housing, which includes a stepper motor connected to an encoder, a gearbox connected to the stepper motor, the shaft of which is connected to one end of the drive screw of the executive mechanism, which also contains a movable plate installed on the gearbox with sliders, and a support nut installed on a flange, which is rigidly fixed in the lower part of the housing, the second end of the lead screw is connected to the support plate by means of a ball bearing, the space between the support plate and the lower part of the housing is closed by a corrugated protective cover, wherein the stepper motor is connected to a control and information processing unit.

2. A construction 3D printer according to paragraph 1, characterized in that it comprises a linear actuator mounted with one end on a hinged support of the main boom and with the other end on a hinged support of the auxiliary boom.

3. A 3D construction printer according to any of paragraphs 1-2, which is different in that it has sun visors installed above the solution supply pipe.

4. A 3D construction printer according to any of items 1-3, which is different in that it includes a software and hardware complex with a main control module, a base alignment module, and a concrete unit control module, a web interface, and a 3D printer operation logging unit.

5. A 3D construction printer according to any of paragraphs 1-4, which is different in that the main control module contains a proprietary module for data exchange with the electromechanical elements of the 3D printer, a data exchange and transmission unit, and a controlcommand validator.

6. A construction 3D printer according to any of items 1-5, which differs in that base alignment module contains a manual control unit for the legs and an automatic base alignment unit.

7. A 3D construction printer according to any of items 1 -6, which, differs in that the concrete unit control module contains: a dry mix feed control unit, a manual water feed control unit, a unit for automatic adjustment of the water volume in solution, a damper control unit, a solution mixing and feed control unit, and an auxiliary unit control unit.

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