Light-Curing 3D Printer Isolation Fluid Smoothing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current light-curing 3D printers face inefficiencies due to liquid material waves and the time-consuming process of peeling cured objects from membranes, leading to increased printing times and reduced quality.
Innovation Solution
A light-curing 3D printer design that incorporates an auxiliary mechanism to vary the status of an isolation fluid, allowing for quick printing and smoothing of the liquid level by flowing or shaking the isolation fluid, which prevents object attachment to the membrane and maintains a smooth surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a wiper is used to smooth the liquid material surface, then the liquid-level smoothing is improved, but the printing time is significantly increased due to the wiper moving back and forth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful factor (liquid material waving) from the system by introducing a membrane to isolate the liquid material from the printing platform movement, eliminating the need for time-consuming wiper operations while maintaining liquid-level smoothing
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane acts as an intermediary between the printing platform and the liquid material, allowing the platform to move for peeling cured objects while the membrane prevents this movement from transferring to the liquid material, thus maintaining a smooth surface without requiring wiper intervention
2Stability of the object's composition
If a membrane is used to prevent liquid material waving, then the liquid-level stability is improved, but the printing time is increased due to the need to lower the printing platform for peeling cured objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the tank into an upper chamber containing the liquid material and a lower chamber for the printing platform, separated by the membrane. This allows independent movement of the platform while maintaining liquid-level stability, enabling faster peeling operations without compromising stability
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane is designed to be flexible and dynamic, allowing it to deform as the printing platform moves up and down for peeling operations, while still maintaining the seal and preventing liquid material waving. This dynamic adaptation enables faster cycle times
3Productivity
If the printing platform is lowered quickly for peeling cured objects, then the printing efficiency is improved, but the liquid material surface becomes un-smooth due to platform movement
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane serves as an intermediary that decouples the printing platform movement from the liquid material surface. When the platform is lowered quickly for peeling, the membrane absorbs the movement and prevents it from transferring to the liquid material, maintaining surface smoothness while enabling fast peeling operations
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 significantly reduces printing time and improves the quality of the printed objects by maintaining a smooth liquid level and facilitating easy peeling of cured objects, thereby enhancing overall printing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
these light-curing 3D printers control a lighting unit to emit light toward liquid material inside a water tank according to a pattern associated to one layer. Then, these light-curing 3D printers continually execute above step for printing multiple slicing objects of multiple layers and stacking these slicing objects to construct a physical 3D model.
Implementation Method 2
an auxiliary mechanism to vary the status of an isolation fluid, allowing for quick printing and smoothing of the liquid level by flowing or shaking the isolation fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A light-curing 3D printer includes a main-tank, a printing platform, a lighting unit, a liquid material contained in the main-tank, an isolation fluid contained in the main-tank and floating upon the liquid material, a membrane arranged upon the isolation fluid, and an auxiliary mechanism. The 3D printer controls the lighting unit to emit light toward the liquid material according to slicing data of one cured-layer of a 3D model for forming a 3D object. The 3D printer then controls the printing platform to lower and activates the auxiliary mechanism to keep varying the status of the isolation fluid. Next, the 3D printer determines whether the 3D model is completed, and controls the lighting unit to emit light according to slicing data of a next cured-layer if the 3D model is not yet completed.