3D Printing Calibration for Foaming Liquid Texture Height
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing technologies face challenges in accurately detecting the ejection characteristics of print elements for foaming promotion liquid, leading to inconsistent texture heights in three-dimensional images due to varying ink ejection amounts, and difficulty in isolating the ejection characteristics of colorless and colored liquids.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus and method that includes a printhead for applying foaming promotion liquid and colored liquid in controlled amounts to a printing medium, followed by foaming and scanning, using a scan unit to determine scan values and calculate a correction value for the foaming promotion liquid application based on these values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a colorless transparent liquid and a colored liquid are applied to a printing medium, then the colorless liquid can be scanned by a sensor, but the ejection characteristics of print elements for the colorless liquid and colored liquid cannot be isolated, making it difficult to detect the ejection characteristic for the colorless liquid
Solution Approach 1:
The printing system divides the application process into separate stages: first applying colored liquid to establish baseline ejection characteristics, then applying colorless transparent liquid to measure actual ejection performance. The scan unit separately analyzes scan values from each liquid application, allowing isolation and detection of ejection characteristics for the colorless liquid without interference from the colored liquid.
2Manufacturing precision
If print elements apply different amounts of foaming promotion liquid to a forming layer, then the amount of foaming particles that foam varies, but the texture height after foaming does not achieve a desired height
Solution Approach 1:
The scan unit measures scan values from the printed image, and the calculation unit computes a correction value based on these scan values and reference scan values. This correction value is fed back to adjust the application amount of foaming promotion liquid, creating a closed-loop control system that compensates for variations in print element ejection characteristics and achieves consistent texture height.
3Manufacturing precision
If the amount of foaming promotion liquid is adjusted according to the type of pattern image, then the textured structure achieves desired height, but it is not easy for a scanner or sensor to detect the colorless transparent liquid applied to the printing medium
Solution Approach 1:
A colored liquid is introduced as an intermediary substance that is applied together with the colorless transparent foaming promotion liquid. The colored liquid serves as a visual marker that allows the scan unit to detect the position and amount of liquid application, while the foaming promotion liquid performs its functional role. This intermediary enables detection of the otherwise invisible foaming liquid.
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
Enables precise control of texture height in three-dimensional images by correcting the application amount of foaming promotion liquid, ensuring consistent texture formation across the printing medium.
Implementation Method 1
a printhead configured to print an image for characteristic detection onto a printing medium containing foaming particles by ejecting a foaming promotion liquid and a colored liquid to the printing medium
Implementation Method 2
a foaming unit configured to foam the foaming particles contained in the printing medium after the image for characteristic detection is printed by the printhead
Implementation Method 3
a scan unit configured to scan the image for characteristic detection after the foaming particles are foamed by the foaming unit, the scan unit obtaining, as scan results of the image for characteristic detection, correspondences between the at least N unit regions and scan values of the colored liquid in the respective at least N unit regions
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment of the present disclosure has a printhead configured to print an image for characteristic detection onto a printing medium containing foaming particles by ejecting a foaming promotion liquid and a colored liquid, the image for characteristic detection having at least N unit regions, the colored liquid being applied to the at least N unit regions in equal amounts, and the foaming promotion liquid being applied to the at least N unit regions in amounts varying in stages; a foaming unit configured to foam the foaming particles; a scan unit configured to scan the image for characteristic detection and obtain, as scan results of the image for characteristic detection, correspondences between the at least N unit regions and scan values of the colored liquid; and a calculation unit configured to calculate a correction value for correcting an application amount of the foaming promotion liquid based on the scan results.