3D Printing High-Temperature Polymer Melt Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 3D printing technologies face challenges when working with high-temperature polymer materials, as they often exceed device-specific temperature limits, leading to damage and inefficiencies, particularly due to thermal distortion and wear of temperature-critical components.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that plasticize high-temperature polymer materials above their melting temperature, then cool them to a processing temperature below the device's temperature limit, allowing for safe generation of three-dimensional objects without exceeding the device's temperature constraints, using techniques like contact heating, microwaves, or infrared radiation, and controlled cooling methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If high-temperature polymer materials are plasticized above their melting point to enable 3D printing, then the processability and print quality improve, but the device components (especially print head) suffer thermal damage and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The process is divided into two distinct temperature zones: a plasticizing zone where material is heated above melting point for optimal flow and printing, and a processing zone where the material is rapidly cooled below the device temperature limit before contacting temperature-critical components. This segmentation allows each zone to operate at its optimal temperature without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The polymer material is pre-cooled in a cooling channel immediately after plasticizing and before it reaches the print head. This preliminary cooling action ensures that the material temperature is reduced to a safe level before contacting temperature-critical components, preventing thermal damage while maintaining print quality.
2Reliability
If the polymer melt temperature is kept below the device temperature limit to protect components, then device reliability improves, but the material becomes too viscous to process and print effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into a plasticizing stage at high temperature for material preparation and a processing stage at lower temperature for safe deposition. The material is plasticized above its melting point to achieve low viscosity and good processability, then rapidly cooled before contacting the print head to ensure device protection.
Solution Approach 2:
A cooling channel acts as an intermediary between the plasticizing extruder and the print head. This intermediary component rapidly cools the polymer melt from high processing temperature to a safe temperature range, enabling the material to transition from a processable state to a device-safe state without direct contact between high-temperature material and temperature-critical components.
3Reliability
If rapid cooling of the polymer melt is applied to protect device components, then thermal damage is prevented, but thermal gradients cause warping and distortion of printed parts
Solution Approach 1:
Cooling is applied locally and selectively to specific regions of the polymer melt flow path rather than uniformly throughout the entire material. The cooling channel is positioned to cool the material at controlled locations, creating localized temperature gradients that minimize overall thermal stress and distortion while still achieving sufficient temperature reduction to protect device components.
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 the use of high-temperature polymer materials in 3D printing without the need for expensive high-temperature modifications, reducing costs and preventing thermal damage, while maintaining the quality of printed items by controlling the cooling process and maintaining the polymer melt within a suitable temperature range.
Implementation Method 1
plasticizing of a polymer material, resulting in a melt of the high-temperature polymer material. The plasticizing can be carried out, for example, in a heated plasticizing extruder
Implementation Method 2
polymer materials in the form of plastic granules or filaments are plasticized by melting
Implementation Method 3
The plasticized high-temperature polymer material is cooled to a processing temperature TV, which is above a crystallization temperature TK but below the melting temperature TS
Implementation Method 4
using techniques like contact heating, microwaves, or infrared radiation
Implementation Method 5
using techniques like contact heating, microwaves, or infrared radiation
Implementation Method 6
using techniques like contact heating, microwaves, or infrared radiation
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a method and a device (1) for the additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object (2) from a high-temperature polymer material. The method comprises the steps of plasticating a high-temperature polymer material above the melting temperature (TS) of the high-temperature polymer material, and cooling the plasticated high-temperature plastic to a processing temperature (TV) which lies above a crystallization temperature (TK) of the high-temperature plastic and which lies below a permissible temperature maximum value (TL) of the critical device components within a device (1) for the additive manufacturing of the three-dimensional object (2) from the high-temperature polymer material or below the melting temperature (TS) of the high-temperature polymer material. This is followed by the additive manufacturing of the three-dimensional object (2) from the plasticated high-temperature polymer material cooled to the processing temperature. The device (1) is designed to carry out the method and, for this purpose, comprises means (3) for plasticating the high-temperature polymer material, means (4) for cooling the plasticated high-temperature polymer material and means (10) for conveying the melt of the high-temperature polymer material which has been cooled to the processing temperature (TV) into means (5) for the additive manufacturing of the three-dimensional object (2).