3D Printing System for Hybrid Foamed Polymer Articles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 3D printing methods for producing foamed products are limited in producing hybrid articles with both foamed and non-foamed sections, and lack control over foam structure and density.
Innovation Solution
A 3D printing system that prepares an expandable polymer melt by melting, pressurizing, and mixing it with a blowing agent, allowing for control over foam structure and density, and enabling the production of hybrid articles by adjusting the blowing agent addition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional 3D printing methods are used to produce foamed products, then the production process is simple, but the ability to produce hybrid articles with both foamed and non-foamed sections is limited and control over foam structure and density is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The printing device is divided into distinct functional sections: a feed section for material input, a heating section for melting the polymer, a pressurizing section for applying pressure, a mixing section for incorporating the blowing agent, and a cooling section for temperature control. This segmentation allows each section to perform its specific function optimally, enabling precise control over the foaming process and the production of hybrid articles with both foamed and non-foamed sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The printing device incorporates dynamic control capabilities where the blowing agent can be selectively added or omitted in different sections during the printing process. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to produce hybrid articles with varying foam structures in different regions, transitioning from static to dynamic control of the foaming process.
2Manufacturing precision
If the printing device includes multiple sections for melting, pressurizing, and mixing, then control over foam structure and density is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional operations are merged into a continuous printing process. The feed section, heating section, pressurizing section, mixing section, and cooling section work in sequence to transform raw polymer material into controlled foam structures in a single integrated process. This merging of operations achieves precise control over foam structure and density without requiring separate processing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The device controls foam structure and density by dynamically changing parameters such as temperature (in the heating and cooling sections), pressure (in the pressurizing section), and blowing agent concentration (in the mixing section). These parameter changes allow precise control over the foaming process, enabling the production of articles with specific foam structures and densities.
3Adaptability or versatility
If blowing agent is continuously added to produce foamed sections, then foam structure control is improved, but the ability to produce non-foamed sections is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The blowing agent addition is implemented as a periodic or selective action rather than continuous addition. The mixing section can be activated or deactivated, or the blowing agent supply can be modulated, allowing the system to produce alternating foamed and non-foamed sections. This periodic action enables the production of hybrid articles while maintaining operational simplicity through automated control.
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 system allows for flexible control over foam structure and density, enabling the production of hybrid articles with both foamed and non-foamed sections, improving the versatility and precision of 3D printed foamed products.
Implementation Method 1
b) a heating section,
Implementation Method 2
c) a pressurizing section,
Implementation Method 3
a blowing agent supply line d), which has one or more discharge end(s), which is/are connected with one or more of the pressurizing section c), the mixing section e) and the cooling section f)
Data Source
AI summary
A three-dimensional printing system for preparing a three-dimensional object made at least partially of an expanded polymer includes a printing device configured to prepare an expandable polymer melt and deposit a strand of expandable, expanding or expanded polymer onto a surface and a three-dimensional movement device for to enable depositing of the strand of expandable, expanding or expanded polymer at a predetermined time at a precise position within the three-dimensional matrix. The printing device includes a feed section at an upstream end of the printing device, a heating section, a pressurizing section, a blowing agent supply line, a mixing section, a cooling section and a terminal printing head section at a downstream end of the printing device including a die configured to deposit the strand of the expandable, expanding or expanded polymer onto the surface.