3D Molding Equipment Parallel Beam Sintering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing three-dimensional molding equipment using galvano scanner devices requires high-energy radiation with small beam diameters, leading to lengthy manufacturing times for large objects and complex control due to the need for varying radiation diameters across the molding surface.
Innovation Solution
The equipment divides the molding region into multiple areas, each with an equal-length scanning path, allowing multiple light or electron beam scanning units to simultaneously sinter these regions, with adjustable radiation diameters and overlapping beams to ensure uniform density and prevent streaks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a single galvano scanner device is used to radiate light beam or electron beam to powder layer, then the radiated location can be moved fast, but it takes extremely long time to manufacture relatively large molding object due to small radiation diameter
Solution Approach 1:
The molding region is divided into multiple regions, and multiple light beam or electron beam scanning units are introduced to simultaneously sinter different regions. This segmentation approach allows parallel processing of multiple areas, significantly reducing total manufacturing time while maintaining the fast beam movement capability of individual scanners.
2Manufacturing precision
If radiation diameter is downsized to concentrate energy for high-density sintering, then surface hardness and density are improved, but molding time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Different radiation diameters are applied to different regions based on local requirements. The outline side regions receive concentrated beams with small radiation diameter for high density and hardness, while inner side regions receive dispersed beams with large radiation diameter for faster processing. This local quality approach optimizes both surface quality and manufacturing efficiency.
3Productivity
If radiation diameter is upsized to reduce molding time, then productivity improves, but surface density and hardness decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts radiation diameter based on position: small diameter for outline regions requiring high density, large diameter for inner regions where speed is prioritized. This resolves the contradiction by applying appropriate beam parameters locally rather than uniformly across the entire molding surface.
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple scanning patterns with varying radiation diameters are used to achieve uniform density, then surface quality improves, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The molding region is segmented into multiple regions, each assigned to a dedicated scanning unit. This segmentation simplifies control by allowing each unit to operate with fixed or predetermined parameters, avoiding the complexity of dynamically adjusting multiple parameters across a single scanner while still achieving uniform density through coordinated parallel operation.
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 configuration significantly reduces sintering time per unit area, improves molding efficiency, and prevents shape deformation by ensuring simultaneous sintering across multiple regions, while allowing for varying densities for surface and interior areas.
Implementation Method 1
a light beam or an electron beam is emitted from a laser oscillator 20 and is reflected on a single galvano scanner device (scanner 22), and further radiated to a powder layer
Implementation Method 2
a light beam or an electron beam is emitted from a laser oscillator 20
Implementation Method 3
to sinter the powder material, high-energy radiation is required and the light beam or the electron beam is needed to be concentrated
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A three-dimensional molding equipment includes powder supply equipment (40) configured to supply powder material and form a powder layer, and a light beam scanning unit (20) configured to radiate a light beam to the powder layer and move a radiated location thereof, where a three-dimensional shaped molding object is manufactured by alternately repeating processes of forming the powder layer and sintering the powder layer with light beam radiation. In the three-dimensional molding equipment, a region used for manufacturing the three-dimensional shaped molding object is divided into a plurality of divided regions (A, B, C, D) and radiation is executed by a plurality of the light beam scanning units (20) to the respective plurality of divided regions (A, B, C, D), thereby improving molding efficiency.