3D Printing Nozzle Compensation for Layer Accuracy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing three-dimensional object production methods fail to fully recover from adverse effects caused by abnormal nozzles, such as excess or deficient ink ejection, leading to incomplete or inaccurate layer formation.

Innovation Solution

A method that includes a nozzle checking step to identify abnormal nozzles, followed by cleaning and adjusting the ejection amount of recovery nozzles to compensate for the abnormal ones, ensuring suitable droplet distribution and formation of layers with different hitting positions to mitigate the adverse effects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If nozzle checking and cleaning is performed to improve layer formation accuracy, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity is reduced due to additional processing steps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelayer formation accuracyVSAvoidproduction speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The nozzle checking is performed in advance before actual layer formation begins. By detecting abnormal nozzles beforehand and cleaning them, the system prevents defects during production rather than correcting them afterward, thus maintaining both high precision and productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-diagnosis and self-correction by automatically detecting abnormal nozzles through checking and cleaning them without external intervention. This automated self-maintenance minimizes manual processing time while ensuring continuous high-precision operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Manufacturing precision

If abnormal nozzles are cleaned to recover from adverse effects, then manufacturing precision is improved, but loss of time occurs during cleaning operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelayer formation accuracyVSAvoidcleaning time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Nozzle cleaning is performed as a preliminary step before layer formation begins. By addressing nozzle abnormalities in advance, the system eliminates the need for time-consuming corrections during production, reducing overall time loss while improving precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system quickly identifies and cleans only the specific abnormal nozzles detected during checking, rather than cleaning all nozzles. This targeted approach minimizes cleaning time while effectively recovering from adverse effects on layer formation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

Data Source

PatentEP3323600B1Method and apparatus for manufacturing three-dimensionally shaped article
Publication Date: 2020.01.15 MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO LTD
  • EP3323600B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3323600B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3323600B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~3(d)

AI summary

[Object] In a method for producing a three-dimensional object using nozzles, at least a partial recovery is realized from an adverse effect caused by an abnormal nozzle that is abnormal in the amount of ejection. [Means of Realizing the Object] Over a lower layer (L1a), an upper layer (L1b) is formed in such a manner that hitting positions of droplets ejected from nozzles (6) are different from hitting positions of droplets ejected in forming the lower layer. In forming the upper layer, a droplet ejected from a recovery nozzle (E) hits a hitting position of a droplet ejected from an abnormal nozzle (A) in forming the lower layer. The amount of ejection from the recovery nozzle (E) is adjusted based on the amount of ejection from the abnormal nozzle.