3D Printing Container Segmentation for Contamination Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 3D printing systems face challenges in cleaning the container and preventing contamination of system components with solidifiable material, leading to increased cleaning efforts and hazardous waste disposal.
Innovation Solution
A container system with a membrane or threaded interface device for connecting to a material container, where the solidifiable material is introduced through the container shell, minimizing exposure and contamination risks, and allowing for easy removal of the three-dimensional object within a self-contained capsule.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the container is open or has direct access to the material receiving space, then filling the container with solidifiable material is simple, but contamination of system components and odor nuisance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into a removable container shell and a base, with the material receiving space sealed during operation. The interface device separates the filling function from the containment function, allowing the container to be open during filling but sealed during the solidification process, thus preventing contamination and odor while maintaining ease of filling.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface device acts as an intermediary between the material container and the container interior. It provides a controlled pathway for material introduction through the membrane, preventing direct exposure of system components to solidifiable material while enabling simple filling operations.
2Ease of operation
If the interface device is arranged in the container wall or base, then filling is direct, but leakage and contamination risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane serves as an intermediary barrier between the interface device and the container interior. It allows the interface device to be positioned away from the container base and walls while still enabling material introduction into the sealed interior space, thus preventing leakage and contamination while maintaining filling accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane is a flexible thin film that seals the container interior while allowing controlled material introduction. Its flexibility enables it to accommodate the interface device positioning away from the container base without compromising the seal integrity, thus preventing leakage while maintaining ease of filling.
3Ease of operation
If the container shell is open during operation, then access to the three-dimensional object is easy, but contamination and odor nuisance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container shell is segmented to be removable from the base, allowing the container to function as a sealed capsule during the solidification process to prevent contamination and odor. After solidification, the shell can be removed to provide easy access to the three-dimensional object, thus resolving the contradiction between accessibility and contamination prevention.
4Ease of operation
If cleaning equipment and agents are used extensively, then contamination is removed, but hazardous waste disposal requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container shell with the material receiving space is extracted as a removable, sealable unit from the main system. This allows the container to be completely removed after use, eliminating the need for cleaning equipment and agents, thus preventing hazardous waste generation while maintaining system cleanliness.
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 design simplifies handling, reduces contamination, minimizes odor nuisance, and enables resource-saving and environmentally friendly operation by encapsulating the object formation process, eliminating the need for extensive cleaning and allowing for easy disposal of unused material.
Implementation Method 1
three-dimensional object can be produced by solidifying a resin solution layer by layer, which can be polymerized, for example, by means of electromagnetic radiation, especially in the ultraviolet spectral range
Data Source
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AI summary
The aim of the invention is to improve a system (10) for producing a three-dimensional object (32) by solidifying, in particular in layers or continuously, a material (16) which can be solidified under the effect of radiation, said system comprising a container (12) for receiving the solidifiable material, in which container the solidifiable material is solidified, in layers or continuously, by the effect of radiation (30) in order to produce the three-dimensional object, wherein the container comprises a container floor (20) and a peripheral container wall (48) protruding from the container floor, wherein the container floor and the container wall delimit a material receptacle chamber (50) for receiving the solidifiable material, such that the operation of the system and in particular handling thereof is simplified. This aim is achieved, according to the invention, in that the container defines a container interior chamber (160) enclosed by a container sleeve (158), the container interior chamber comprises the material receptacle chamber, the container sleeve is closed and the container sleeve comprises a carrier element (104), which defines a holding surface (106) for holding the three-dimensional object formed from the solidifiable material.