Powder-Bed 3D Printing Ink Adhesive Overlap Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

In powder-bed 3D printing, ink droplets are diluted by adhesive droplets, leading to a degradation in the colorful degree of the printed model and increased moisture, causing deformation due to uneven expanding powder.

Innovation Solution

A method where the 3D printer generates separate color and adhesive images for each printing layer, adjusts adhesive information based on color information, and combines them to create a final printing image, ensuring ink and adhesive droplets are not overlapped, thus maintaining color integrity and uniform moisture.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If ink droplets and adhesive droplets are jetted simultaneously on the same position, then the powder is well bound, but the ink droplets are diluted by adhesive droplets, degrading the colorful degree of the formed model

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebinding strengthVSAvoidcolor accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the printing process into two separate stages: first jetting adhesive droplets to bind powder, then jetting ink droplets for coloring. This segmentation prevents overlap between adhesive and ink droplets, ensuring both strong binding and accurate color reproduction without mutual interference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The adhesive droplets are jetted in advance before the ink droplets. By performing the binding action first and then applying color, the patent ensures that the adhesive has already secured the powder structure before ink is applied, preventing dilution while maintaining binding strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If adhesive droplets are distributed densely to ensure complete binding, then the binding coverage is improved, but the moisture increases, causing uneven expanding powder and deformation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebinding coverageVSAvoidmodel deformation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the droplet distribution into two distinct phases: adhesive droplets for binding and ink droplets for coloring. By separating these functions and applying them at different times, the patent achieves complete binding coverage without excessive moisture accumulation that would cause deformation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies adhesive droplets only where needed for binding, and subsequently applies ink droplets only in areas requiring coloration. This localized quality approach ensures that adhesive provides sufficient binding coverage without over-saturation, preventing uneven expansion and deformation while maintaining structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3130451B1Processing method for printing information of powder-bed type 3D printing
Publication Date: 2020.04.01 XYZPRINTING
  • EP3130451B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3130451B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2C
  • EP3130451B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C

AI summary

A method for processing printing information of a powder-bed type 3D printer (1) is disclosed. The method comprises following steps of: generating a color image (I4) and an adhesive image (I5) for each printing slice in accordance with a 3D file; adjusting adhesive information (52) of the adhesive image (I5) based on color information (51) of the color image (I4); and, generating a final printing image (I6) based on the color image (I4) and the adjusted adhesive image (I5'). The method prevents the 3D printing from jetting adhesive that may overlap with jetted colored ink by using the final printing image (I6), so as to avoid the jetted color-ink being diluted by the adhesive, and powders being moist because of the overlap of the colored ink and the adhesive.