3D Printing Slice Shifting to Eliminate Support Interface Cracks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional 3D printing methods deposit support and body materials simultaneously, leading to a rough mixed interface that results in micro-cracks, increased brittleness, and inferior mechanical properties of the printed parts, along with surface roughness issues that require costly post-processing.
Innovation Solution
The method involves generating 3D digital data with shifted slices to separate body and support regions during printing, allowing droplets of support and body materials to travel different distances, thereby preventing direct contact and eliminating the mixed interface, ensuring smoother surfaces and improved mechanical properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If support material and body material are deposited simultaneously in the same layer, then the printing process is efficient and straightforward, but a mixed interface is formed that causes micro-cracks and reduces mechanical strength
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the deposition process by separating body material and support material into different layers vertically. The body material is deposited at a first height and the support material at a second height, preventing their direct contact and eliminating the mixed interface that causes micro-cracks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension separation between body and support materials. By depositing body material and support material at different heights (first height vs second height) in the Z-direction, the patent prevents horizontal mixing while maintaining structural support functionality.
2Device complexity
If support material and body material are deposited simultaneously layer by layer, then the printing process is simple, but the surface becomes rough and requires post-processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the deposition process by separating body material and support material into different layers vertically. The body material is deposited at a first height and the support material at a second height, preventing their direct contact and eliminating the mixed interface that causes micro-cracks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension separation between body and support materials. By depositing body material and support material at different heights (first height vs second height) in the Z-direction, the patent prevents horizontal mixing while maintaining structural support functionality.
3Ease of manufacture
If support material and body material are deposited in the same layer, then the printing process is straightforward, but micro-cracks are left in the printed part increasing brittleness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the deposition process by separating body material and support material into different layers vertically. The body material is deposited at a first height and the support material at a second height, preventing their direct contact and eliminating the mixed interface that causes micro-cracks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension separation between body and support materials. By depositing body material and support material at different heights (first height vs second height) in the Z-direction, the patent prevents horizontal mixing while maintaining structural support functionality.
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 results in 3D printed parts with reduced micro-cracks, enhanced mechanical strength, and smoother surfaces, eliminating the need for extensive post-processing and improving the overall quality of the printed objects.
Implementation Method 1
material is selectively jetted from one or more print heads and deposited onto a fabrication tray in consecutive layers
Implementation Method 2
After the deposition the deposited layers are hardened (e.g., by ultraviolet (UV) curing)
Data Source
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Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Some embodiments of the invention may be related to a system and method of printing a three-dimensional (3D) object and a support construction for the 3D object. The system may include a printing unit and a supply system for supplying a body material and a support material to the printing unit. The system may further include a controller be configured to: generate 3D cross sectional digital data comprising a set of horizontal slices, to manipulate the 3D digital data to create a set of shifted slices by performing vertical shifts between body regions and support regions of a same horizontal slice to create printing digital data and to control the printing unit to deposit, in layers, the body material and the support material based on the printing digital data, wherein in a single scan, droplets of the support material and droplets of the body material travel different distances.