3D Printer Purge Control for Denatured Melt Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Three-dimensional shaping apparatuses face issues with material deterioration due to denaturation when the ejection of thermoplastic material is resumed after a long pause, affecting the quality of the shaped object.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a control section that executes material purge processing by stopping the ejection of the shaping material, discharging any remaining material from the melting section to a different region before resuming ejection, using mechanisms like suction and ejection-amount adjusting mechanisms to prevent denaturation and ensure quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the ejection of shaping material is stopped for a long time, then the material remaining in the melting section is denatured by heat or oxidation, but continuing ejection wastes material and reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The control section executes material purge processing before resuming ejection after a pause. This preliminary action removes denatured material from the melting section and channel, preventing quality deterioration while allowing the system to maintain heating and readiness, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining quality and preserving productivity
2Reliability
If the ejection-amount adjusting mechanism is used to stop ejection, then material denaturation is prevented, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ejection-amount adjusting mechanism serves dual purposes: it controls ejection amount during normal operation and executes material purge processing by itself when needed. The mechanism purges material by adjusting the ejection amount to discharge remaining material, eliminating the need for separate purge mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively suppresses deterioration in the quality of the three-dimensional shaped object by removing denatured material, ensuring consistent output even after prolonged pauses in ejection.
Implementation Method 1
a melting section configured to melt a material into a shaping material
Implementation Method 2
a suction mechanism provided in the first channel and configured to suck the shaping material
Data Source
AI summary
A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a melting section providing a shaping material to a channel, a nozzle ejecting the shaping material to a shaping region of a shaping table, an ejection-amount adjusting mechanism adjusting an amount of the shaping material from the nozzle, a suction member sucking the shaping material in the channel, a memory configured to store a program, and a processor configured to execute the program so as to control the three-dimensional shaping apparatus. The processor is configured to stop the ejection of the shaping material and, thereafter, prior to resumption of the ejection of the shaping material, execute material purge processing for discharging the shaping material remaining in the melting section to a region different from the shaping region. The suction member is located closer to the nozzle than the ejection-amount adjusting mechanism in the first channel.