3D Shaping Stage Residue Detection Before Next Print

The control unit executes a remaining detection step before starting the shaping process to detect whether shaping material remains on the shaping surface. If material remains, the discharge unit performs a clearing operation by discharging material to the detected position. This preliminary detection and clearing action prevents contact damage between the discharge unit and previous shaped objects, while allowing continuous shaping operations to maintain high productivity

The sensor unit serves multiple functions: it detects the presence of remaining shaping material to prevent damage, and also detects the position of remaining material to guide the clearing operation. By making the sensor unit multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate detection and clearing guidance systems, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving reliable damage prevention

The discharge unit performs the clearing operation by discharging shaping material to the position detected by the sensor unit. This self-service approach allows the discharge unit to clear the shaping surface using its own functional capability, avoiding the need for separate clearing mechanisms. The clearing operation is integrated into the normal shaping process flow, minimizing additional time loss while ensuring manufacturing precision