3D Printing Nozzle Tilt for Corner Ink Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing three-dimensional object printing apparatuses face issues with ink adherence to unintended surfaces when printing near corners or curved areas, as the ink discharge surface remains parallel to the workpiece, leading to contamination of adjacent surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional object printing apparatus with a liquid discharge head and a moving mechanism that adjusts its position and pose relative to the workpiece, allowing the nozzle surface to be tilted and positioned such that the ink lands closer to the corner than the nozzles, preventing ink from adhering to adjacent surfaces during printing on surfaces with convex corners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the ink discharge surface is maintained parallel to the side surface of the workpiece, then the printing operation is simplified, but ink adheres to adjacent surfaces when printing near corners
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the ink discharge surface tiltable relative to the workpiece surface. The liquid discharge head includes a tilting mechanism that allows the ink discharge surface to change its angle dynamically. During printing operations near corners or curved surfaces, the ink discharge surface is tilted to direct ink away from adjacent surfaces, preventing unwanted adhesion. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by maintaining operational simplicity while eliminating harmful ink adhesion to unintended areas.
2Manufacturing precision
If the ink discharge surface is tilted to prevent ink adhesion to adjacent surfaces, then printing precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tilting mechanism integrates seamlessly with the existing liquid discharge head structure, adding minimal complexity while significantly improving printing precision. The mechanism allows controlled angular adjustment of the ink discharge surface without requiring complete redesign of the printing system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the angular parameter of the ink discharge surface relative to the workpiece. By adjusting this parameter dynamically, the system achieves precise control over ink deposition location, ensuring ink lands only on intended surfaces while avoiding adjacent areas, thus improving printing precision with controlled complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the liquid discharge head position is adjusted to land ink closer to the corner, then ink adhesion to adjacent surfaces is prevented, but the control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The moving mechanism enables dynamic repositioning of the liquid discharge head in both position and orientation. This dynamic control allows the system to adjust the ink discharge location and angle simultaneously, ensuring ink lands precisely where intended while preventing adhesion to adjacent surfaces. The coordinated control of position and pose resolves the contradiction by managing ink adhesion effectively without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system incorporates feedback mechanisms to monitor the position of the liquid discharge head and the geometry of the workpiece surfaces. Based on this feedback, the system automatically adjusts the discharge head position and angle to optimize ink placement, preventing adhesion to unintended surfaces while maintaining straightforward control through automated decision-making.
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 solution effectively prevents ink from adhering to unintended surfaces, improving print quality by ensuring ink lands only on the intended surface, even when printing near corners or curved areas, thereby reducing contamination and enhancing image quality.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid discharge head having a nozzle surface on which a plurality of nozzles which discharge a liquid are provided
Data Source
AI summary
A three-dimensional object printing apparatus includes a liquid discharge head having a nozzle surface, a moving mechanism that changes a position and a pose of the liquid discharge head relative to a three-dimensional workpiece, and a controller. The workpiece has a first surface and a second surface that forms a corner bent or curved in a convex shape between the first surface and the second surface. When an axis along a scanning direction of the liquid discharge head with respect to the workpiece in a first printing operation of performing printing on the first surface is a first scanning axis and a normal vector of the nozzle surface in the first printing operation is a first discharge vector, the controller controls the driving of the moving mechanism such that the first discharge vector has a component in a direction toward the second surface along the first scanning axis.