3D Printing Ink Ejection Control for Waste Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional three-dimensional object manufacturing systems discard a significant amount of ink, ranging from 10% to 30%, due to excessive ink removal during the flattening process, which affects efficiency and resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
The method involves forming an ink ejection amount reduction region by reducing the ink ejection amount in specific areas using the inkjet head and increasing it in overlapping regions, allowing the flattening mechanism to adjust the ink layer thickness without removing ink from the reduction region, thereby minimizing ink discard.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the flattening mechanism removes excessive ink to flatten the surface and adjust thickness, then the surface flatness and thickness uniformity are improved, but the amount of ink discarded increases significantly (10% to 30% of ejected ink)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming an ink ejection amount reduction region in advance within the ink layer before flattening occurs. This pre-formed region with reduced ink ejection amount allows the flattening mechanism to operate without removing excessive ink, as the ink layer already has appropriate thickness distribution. The controller generates manufacturing data with cavity information that defines this reduction region, enabling the inkjet head to eject less ink in specific areas beforehand, thus resolving the contradiction between achieving thickness uniformity and minimizing ink discard.
2Loss of substance
If the ink ejection amount is reduced in specific regions to minimize ink discard, then the amount of ink discarded is reduced, but the ink layer thickness uniformity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating an ink ejection amount reduction region with specific local characteristics within the overall ink layer. Instead of uniformly reducing ink ejection across the entire layer, the controller generates manufacturing data that defines a specific cavity region where ink ejection is reduced. This localized approach allows the ink layer to maintain appropriate thickness in critical areas while having reduced ink ejection in specific internal regions, thus minimizing ink discard without compromising overall thickness uniformity where needed.
3Manufacturing precision
If the ink ejection amount is increased in overlapping regions, then the ink layer thickness is maintained in regions affected by flattening, but the total ink consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the ink ejection amount reduction region through modified manufacturing data before the flattening process occurs. The controller generates cavity information that instructs the inkjet head to eject reduced amounts of ink in specific regions in advance. This preliminary configuration ensures that when flattening occurs, the ink layer already has the appropriate thickness distribution, eliminating the need to compensate by increasing ink ejection in overlapping regions, thus maintaining thickness precision without increasing total ink consumption.
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
This approach reduces the amount of ink discarded during the manufacturing process, enhancing efficiency, reducing waste, and potentially improving the accuracy and quality of the three-dimensional objects produced.
Implementation Method 1
an inkjet head for forming an ink layer
Implementation Method 2
a flattening mechanism for removing one part of a surface of the ink layer formed by the inkjet head to flatten the surface and adjust a thickness of the ink layer
Data Source
AI summary
In a three-dimensional object manufacturing method using a three-dimensional object manufacturing device for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by layering and stacking an ink layer in which a surface is flattened by a flattening roller for removing one part of the surface of the ink layer to adjust a thickness of the ink layer to a thickness t, where when forming ink layers with an inkjet head, an ink ejection amount reduction region in which an ejection amount of ink ejected by the inkjet head is reduced from an amount corresponding to the thickness t in a part corresponding to an interior of the three-dimensional object, and when forming the ink layers on an upper side of the specific ink layers with the inkjet head, an ejection amount of ink ejected by the inkjet head is increased from an amount corresponding to the thickness t.