Multicolor 3D Printing Energy Absorption Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing additive manufacturing systems face challenges in achieving uniform energy absorption and fusing selectivity for multicolored 3D printed objects, leading to non-uniform thermal absorption and potential dimensional inaccuracies due to differences in irradiation sources and colored fusing agents.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a combination of colored fusing agents and a colorless UV-absorbing agent, controlled by a controller to ensure uniform energy absorption, using specific irradiation sources and adjusting the deposition of UV-absorbing agents to match the energy absorption of different colored fusing agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If colored fusing agents are used to achieve multicolored 3D printed objects, then color gamut is improved, but thermal uniformity deteriorates due to different energy absorption characteristics of different colors
Solution Approach 1:
A UV-absorbing agent is introduced as an intermediary substance that uniformly absorbs UV energy across different colored regions. This mediator compensates for the varying energy absorption characteristics of different colored fusing agents, ensuring uniform thermal heating throughout the multicolored 3D printed object during selective laser sintering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the energy absorption parameters by combining UV-absorbing agents with colored fusing agents. This parameter change ensures that regardless of the color (cyan, magenta, yellow, or white), all regions absorb UV energy at comparable rates, achieving thermal uniformity while maintaining color diversity in the final printed object.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different colored fusing agents are deposited to achieve various colors, then product versatility is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to non-uniform energy absorption leading to dimensional inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The UV-absorbing agent serves as a mediator that ensures uniform energy distribution across different colored regions. By introducing this intermediary substance, the system maintains manufacturing precision and dimensional accuracy while producing multicolored products with various colors including cyan, magenta, yellow, and white regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the energy absorption parameters by incorporating UV-absorbing agents with the colored fusing agents. This parameter modification ensures consistent energy absorption rates across all color regions, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision and preventing dimensional inaccuracies in the final 3D printed product.
3Temperature
If UV-absorbing agents are added to increase energy absorption, then thermal uniformity is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional material deposition and control requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the UV-absorbing agent with the colored fusing agents in a single deposition process. This combining approach allows both substances to be applied together using the existing inkjet printing system, avoiding the need for separate deposition mechanisms and reducing overall process complexity while achieving uniform UV energy absorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The UV-absorbing agent serves multiple functions: it acts as a thermal uniformity enhancer, a color modifier, and can be deposited using the existing multi-color inkjet system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized equipment, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving improved thermal uniformity.
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 enables the production of multicolored 3D printed objects with high color gamut, improved thermal uniformity, and enhanced structural properties by ensuring consistent fusing selectivity and accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a colorless UV-absorbing agent is deposited on the powder build material... the UV-absorbing agent absorbs UV light to heat the build material
Implementation Method 2
the UV-absorbing agent absorbs UV light to heat the build material to a temperature sufficient to fuse the build material
Implementation Method 3
colored fusing agents are deposited on the powder build material... the fusing agent increases the energy absorption of the build material
Data Source
AI summary
In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, an additive manufacturing system is described. The additive manufacturing system includes a build material distributor to deposit powder build material on a surface and an agent distribution system to selectively deposit various colored fusing agents and an ultraviolet absorbing agent on the powder build material in a pattern of a layer of a three-dimensional (3D) object to be printed. An irradiation source selectively fuses powder build material with colored fusing agent disposed thereon. The additive manufacturing system also includes a controller. The controller, per location of the layer of the 3D object to be printed 1) determines an energy absorption at the location based on an absorptivity of colored fusing agents deposited at that location and 2) determines an additive manufacturing adjustment to be made at the location to bring the energy absorption at the location to a target level.