Cylindrical 3D Structure Formation with Through-Support Irradiation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for generating flexographic or letterpress printing plates face challenges with viscous solidifiable materials, such as slow production speed and quality issues due to material sticking to container walls, and mechanical stress during mounting on printing cylinders, leading to reduced mechanical stability and shorter print length.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method using a support structure with irradiation means that emits radiation through the support surface, allowing for the formation of solidified layers on a cylindrical support surface, which rotates and moves relative to a container, ensuring easy flow of fresh material and minimizing adhesion, enabling faster and more reliable production of relief carriers like printing plates or sleeves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If continuous liquid interface printing method is used, then production speed is improved, but solidified material sticks to container bottom wall causing production issues
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of irradiating from below through the container bottom wall, the patent inverts the irradiation direction by placing the irradiation source above the support surface, shining through the support surface and solidifiable material from top to bottom. This inversion eliminates the sticking problem at the container bottom while maintaining continuous production capability
Solution Approach 2:
The support surface acts as an intermediary between the irradiation source and the solidifiable material. The irradiation passes through this intermediate support surface to solidify the material, allowing the support surface to be easily detached without the solidified material adhering to the container bottom wall
2Manufacturing precision
If viscous solidifiable material is used, then material quality is improved, but feeding fresh material into the gap becomes slow and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar configuration to cylindrical configuration. The cylindrical support surface allows fresh solidifiable material to flow continuously from the reservoir onto the rotating support surface in a radial direction, eliminating the gap-filling bottleneck present in planar systems and enabling viscous materials to be fed efficiently
3Ease of manufacture
If planar configuration is used, then manufacturing is simplified, but mechanical stress during mounting reduces stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a cylindrical support surface instead of a planar one. The cylindrical configuration allows the relief carrier to be formed in a curved state that naturally conforms to the printing cylinder, eliminating bending stresses during mounting and significantly improving mechanical stability and print length
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
The solution allows for faster and more reliable production of three-dimensional structures, particularly printing plates or sleeves, using viscous materials without sticking issues and maintaining mechanical stability, thus improving production speed and quality.
Implementation Method 1
The first irradiating means is located behind the support surface and configured to emit irradiation, through said support surface, in an irradiation area between the support surface and the container to solidify the solidifiable material at the support surface
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for generating a three-dimensional structure using a solidifiable material (M) includes a support structure configured for providing a support surface, wherein the support surface may be formed by a substrate intended to be part of the three-dimensional structure to be generated or by a support not intended to be part of the three-dimensional structure to be generated. A container is provided for receiving the solidifiable material. A first irradiating means is located behind the support surface and configured to emit irradiation, through said support surface, in an irradiation area in the solidifiable material, between the support surface and the container to solidify the solidifiable material at the support surface. The support structure is configured to allow said irradiation to pass through the support surface.