3D Shaping Nozzle Purge Control After Long Ejection Pauses
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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 melting section, a nozzle, an ejection-amount adjusting mechanism, and a control section that executes material purge processing by discharging remaining material to a different region before resuming ejection, using a purge material or compressed air to prevent denaturation and clogging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If ejection of shaping material is stopped for a long time, then energy consumption is reduced, but the material remaining in the melting section deteriorates due to heat and oxidation
Solution Approach 1:
The control section executes material purge processing before resuming ejection after a pause. This preliminary action removes deteriorated material from the melting section and channel, preventing quality issues before they affect the shaped object. The system proactively clears the melting section rather than reacting to quality problems after they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The ejection-amount adjusting mechanism isolates the melting section from the ejection path by controlling material flow. During pauses, it prevents material from entering the channel while allowing the melting section to be purged separately. This extraction separates the problematic heated material in the melting section from the ejection path, enabling selective removal of deteriorated material.
2Productivity
If ejection of shaping material is resumed after a long pause, then productivity is improved, but the quality of the three-dimensional shaped object deteriorates due to denatured material
Solution Approach 1:
Before resuming ejection to maintain productivity, the control section executes material purge processing as a preliminary action. This ensures deteriorated material is removed before it can affect the quality of the shaped object. The system maintains high productivity by quickly purging and resuming ejection without lengthy delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The material purge processing is designed to execute quickly during the pause period, rushing through the necessary cleaning action before quality deterioration occurs. The ejection-amount adjusting mechanism enables rapid control of material flow to complete the purge cycle efficiently, minimizing the time spent in the paused state while ensuring quality is maintained.
3Reliability
If material purge processing is executed, then material quality is maintained, but additional processing time is required
Solution Approach 1:
The control section executes material purge processing periodically based on the ejection pause duration. Instead of continuous purging, the system uses periodic actions triggered by pause events, maintaining material quality only when necessary. This reduces unnecessary processing time while ensuring quality is maintained during pause-resume cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The melting section continues to heat material during pauses, maintaining it in a purgable state ready for quick removal. The system uses the existing thermal energy already invested in heating the material to facilitate rapid purging when needed, rather than requiring additional heating time during the purge process itself.
4Ease of operation
If the ejection-amount adjusting mechanism is used to stop ejection, then material flow is controlled, but material may clog in the channel
Solution Approach 1:
The control section executes material purge processing as a preliminary action before resuming ejection after pauses. This proactively removes material from the channel before clogging can occur, preventing the harmful effect rather than reacting to it. The ejection-amount adjusting mechanism enables this preliminary clearing action.
Solution Approach 2:
The ejection-amount adjusting mechanism extracts and isolates material in the channel from the main ejection path. By controlling the flow rate to near-zero during pauses, it separates material in the channel from the continuous flow, allowing selective removal of potentially clogging material through purging without affecting the main shaping process.
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 solution effectively suppresses deterioration in the quality of the three-dimensional shaped object by ensuring the removal of denatured material and preventing clogging, ensuring consistent output.
Implementation Method 1
a melting section configured to melt a material into a shaping material
Implementation Method 2
a nozzle communicating with the first channel and configured to eject 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.