3D Printing Head With Inert Gas Shielding at the Nozzle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 3D printing technologies face challenges in protecting printed materials from environmental interactions, leading to oxidation and contamination, which affects the precision and reliability of the printing process, particularly for materials like titanium alloys that require inert conditions.
Innovation Solution
A 3D printing head design featuring a concentric material and protective fluid conduit system, where a protective inert gas flow surrounds the material flow, creating an inert environment at the nozzle outlet and around the deposition area, reducing contamination and oxidation risks while maintaining a simple and reliable nozzle design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cooling system and transport gas are used to deliver material, then the material can be transported to the substrate, but the material reacts with air causing oxidation and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a protective gas flow (argon or nitrogen) through a dedicated protective fluid conduit that surrounds the material flow at the nozzle outlet. This creates a localized inert atmosphere around the deposited material, preventing oxidation and contamination from air exposure during the printing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective gas flow acts as an intermediary between the material and the external environment. It forms a protective barrier that mediates the interaction between the vulnerable deposited material and the harmful external air, preventing direct contact and thus oxidation and contamination.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If complex shielding systems are used to protect material from environment, then protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the material delivery function and the protective atmosphere function into a single integrated nozzle structure. The concentric arrangement combines the material conduit and protective fluid conduit into one compact component, eliminating the need for separate complex shielding systems while maintaining effective environmental protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective fluid conduit is nested around the material conduit in a concentric arrangement. This nesting configuration allows the protective gas flow to surround the material flow efficiently within a compact structure, providing environmental protection without increasing device complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If complete inerting of the printer is implemented, then material protection is maximized, but time and resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies protective atmosphere only where it is most needed - at the nozzle outlet and in the immediate deposition zone. This localized protection approach provides sufficient material protection without requiring complete inerting of the entire printer chamber, thus saving time and resources while maintaining material purity.
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 enhances the precision and reliability of the 3D printing process by minimizing material loss and contamination, reducing production costs, and eliminating the need for complete inerting of the printer, thereby saving time and resources.
Implementation Method 1
the conduits being configured so that the protective flow surrounds the material flow and creates an environment inert at the outlet of the nozzle and in a work space around the deposition of the material
Implementation Method 2
A laser configured to heat the material to be deposited and/or the substrate
Implementation Method 3
The laser energy will heat the substrate to create a hot zone called a weld pool
Implementation Method 4
A cooling circuit in which a cooling fluid circulates, configured to cool the print head
Implementation Method 5
a substantially longitudinal material conveying conduit along an axis (X) through which passes a transport flow of material to be deposited
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
A print head (1) for a 3D printer for three-dimensional printing on a substrate (7) comprising at least: - A material delivery conduit (3) substantially longitudinal along an axis (X) through which passes a flow of material to be deposited on the substrate (7), - A cooling circuit (8) through which circulates a cooling fluid, configured to cool the print head (1).- A light source, for example a laser (5), configured to heat the material to be deposited and/or the substrate (7), - A protective fluid conduit (4) through which a protective flow (41) of protective fluid passes, - A nozzle (2), at the level of which at least the flows from said conduits exit, in which the laser (5) is offset from the material delivery conduit and the external wall of the material delivery conduit (3) is adjacent to the internal wall of the protective flow conduit (4), the conduits being configured so that the protective flow (41) creates an inert environment at the exit of the nozzle (2) and in a working space around the deposit (20) of the material to be deposited on the substrate (7).