3D Printing Liquid Delivery Pattern Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 3D printing technologies face challenges in precisely controlling the properties of 3D objects, such as thermal performance, mechanical strength, and surface finish, due to limitations in the delivery and fusing of liquid droplets during the printing process.
Innovation Solution
A 3D printer system that employs multiple delivery devices and a controller to determine and implement specific delivery patterns for liquid droplets across multiple passes, allowing for precise control of properties like thermal performance, mechanical strength, and surface finish by splitting the delivery of fusing agents and detailing agents across multiple passes, and using fusing radiation generators to fuse the build materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If liquid droplets are delivered in a single pass, then the printing process is faster, but the precision in controlling part properties (thermal performance, mechanical strength, surface finish) is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid droplet delivery process is segmented into multiple passes, where each pass delivers a specific pattern of droplets. The controller divides the overall delivery pattern into first, second, and subsequent passes, allowing precise control of material distribution while maintaining reasonable printing speed through optimized pass sequences
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple delivery devices are used to improve delivery precision, then the control of build material properties improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a single delivery device that dynamically changes its delivery pattern across multiple passes rather than using multiple static delivery devices. The controller adjusts the delivery pattern adaptively, delivering different droplet patterns in different passes to achieve the precision that would otherwise require multiple simultaneous delivery devices
3Productivity
If liquid droplets are delivered at high speed, then productivity increases, but the precision of droplet placement and property control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery process uses periodic action with distinct passes, where each pass delivers droplets at optimized speeds for that specific pattern. The controller coordinates the periodic delivery cycles to maintain high overall productivity while ensuring each individual droplet placement achieves the required precision through controlled delivery intervals and patterns
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
Enables the formation of 3D objects with predetermined properties by optimizing the delivery and fusing of materials, improving thermal performance, mechanical strength, and surface finish through controlled delivery patterns and radiation application.
Implementation Method 1
a fusing radiation generator to fuse the build materials
Implementation Method 2
controlling a first delivery device to deliver liquid droplets onto a layer of build materials
Data Source
AI summary
According to an example, a 3D printer may include a delivery device and a controller. The controller may access a morphology of a part to be formed from a plurality of build materials in a layer, determine, based upon the accessed morphology, a first delivery pattern for the delivery device to selectively deliver liquid droplets onto build materials in the layer during a first pass over the layer and a second delivery pattern for the delivery device to selectively deliver liquid droplets onto build materials in the layer during a second pass over the layer to control a property of the part formed of some of the build materials in the layer. The controller may also control the delivery device to selectively deliver liquid droplets onto build materials in the layer according to the determined first and second delivery patterns respectively during the first pass and the second pass.