Cable Robot 3D Print Head Positioning With Planar Cable Winding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 3D printing technologies struggle to produce complex, precise, and organic-compatible objects such as bone substitutes or prostheses with individual and precise printing capabilities, often requiring significant material loss and risking rejection reactions.
Innovation Solution
A cable robot 3D printer with eight cables or straps, detachably attached to a print head, allows for planar, crossing-free winding and precise control using encoders and adaptive control loops to achieve high-precision positioning and printing of organic materials, enabling complex geometries without material loss and reducing rejection risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If complex cable reversals and longer cable lengths are used in 3D printing, then the working space is increased, but positioning precision and individual control are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the working space into multiple independently controllable cable segments, each managed by its own cable drum and drive unit. This segmentation allows precise control of individual cable lengths and tensions, enabling accurate positioning even across extended working spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces planar winding of cables on cable drums as a new dimensional approach to cable management. By winding cables in parallel planes rather than allowing complex spatial reversals, the system maintains cable length precision while expanding the accessible working volume in three-dimensional space.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional shaping or subtractive tools are used, then production capability is achieved, but material consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary digital modeling and path planning before actual printing. The object is divided into layers and printing paths are calculated in advance, allowing precise material deposition only where needed, eliminating material waste associated with traditional subtractive methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs variable printing parameters including adjustable layer thickness, deposition rate, and material flow control. These parameter changes enable adaptive material usage that matches the actual geometric requirements of each printed section, minimizing material consumption while maintaining production capability.
3Quantity of substance
If autograft procedures are used for bone replacement, then bone material is obtained, but the procedure becomes complicated and risky with limited material availability
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates precise digital copies of the patient's anatomical structures through scanning and modeling. These digital models are then used to generate custom bone implants that exactly match the required geometry, eliminating the need for complex autograft procedures and providing unlimited material availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The 3D printing system serves multiple functions: it scans the patient's anatomy, designs the custom implant digitally, manufactures the precise bone replacement, and can store digital models for future use. This multi-functionality replaces multiple specialized procedures with a single integrated system.
4Productivity
If conventional 3D printing systems are used, then printing capability is provided, but individual and precise printing control is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms through encoders on cable drums that continuously monitor cable length and position. This real-time feedback allows the control system to adjust cable tensions and print head positioning dynamically, maintaining high precision throughout the printing process while sustaining productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
The task of the invention is to create a 3D printer to produce, for example, bone substitutes or organ substitutes or other objects such as prostheses from organically compatible materialsCable robot 3D printer (1), comprising a cable robot (1) with eight cables (2) or straps (2), wherein the cables (2) or straps (2) are detachably attached at a first end (3) to a print head (4) and are guided from the print head (4) to a respective cable drum (5), and the other second end (6) of the cables (2) or straps (2), which is opposite the print head (4) in each case, can be wound in the cable drum (5) in a planar, crossing-free manner wherein the cable drums (5) are arranged within a working space (7) and wherein the cable drums (5) are drivable and the drives (8) of the cable drums (5) are arranged outside or inside the working space (7), and in that at least one material feed (9) and at least one nozzle (10) are provided on the print head (4).Method for detecting the position and for changing the position of the print head (4) of a cable robot 3D printer (1), comprising a cable robot (1) with eight cables (2) or belts (2) which are guided from a print head (4) to a respective cable drum (5),characterized in thatthe cables (2) or straps (2) are wound in the cable drum (5) in a planar crossing-free manner and, for a control circuit for detecting the desired position, the respective cable lengths, which are detected via encoders on the drives (8), are determined as measured variables and the cable forces are determined as manipulated variables of the control circuit.