3D Printer Pre-Formed Shape Deposition for Speed
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 3D printing technologies are limited by slow printing speeds due to complex and inefficient print-head mechanisms, which hinder the rapid production of objects with complex shapes and tight tolerances.
Innovation Solution
The use of pre-formed shapes such as rods, boards, and arcs, combined with Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) analysis and embroidery paradigms, allows for simultaneous multi-head printing, significantly reducing heating, extrusion, and cleaning times, and optimizing the printing process by directly printing straight lines, approximating curves with chords, and covering surface areas with long stitches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If existing 3D printers use complex print-head mechanisms for flexible shape printing, then manufacturing precision and shape flexibility are improved, but printing speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the printing process into distinct phases: rapid deposition of pre-formed shapes (rods, boards, arcs) followed by separate welding/fusion operations. This segmentation allows the print head to quickly place shapes without complex real-time shaping mechanisms, while a welding system handles the bonding, thereby resolving the contradiction between speed and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the shapes (rods, boards, arcs) before the printing process. These pre-formed shapes are stored and readily available for rapid deposition. This eliminates the time-consuming real-time shaping operations in traditional printers, significantly increasing printing speed while maintaining shape flexibility through the variety of pre-formed geometries.
2Productivity
If traditional 3D printers use single print-head with heating and extrusion, then material deposition is achieved, but heating time and extrusion time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heating and extrusion functions from the main printing process. Instead of heating and extruding material during each printing operation, the system uses pre-formed shapes that are already prepared. This extraction eliminates repetitive heating and extrusion cycles, dramatically reducing the time loss associated with these operations while maintaining high material deposition rates through rapid shape placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-heating and pre-forming shapes before the printing process. The shapes are prepared in advance with optimal thermal properties, so during printing, they require minimal additional heating and no extrusion time. This preliminary preparation resolves the contradiction by shifting the time-consuming operations to before the actual printing, thereby increasing productivity during the printing phase.
3Manufacturing precision
If periodic cleaning of extrusion hole is performed in traditional printers, then print quality is maintained, but printing cycle time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cleaning operation from the printing cycle by using pre-formed shapes that eliminate the need for continuous extrusion. Since material is deposited as complete shapes rather than through continuous extrusion, there is no extrusion hole to clean during printing. This extraction of the cleaning function resolves the contradiction by eliminating the time loss from periodic cleaning while maintaining print quality through precise shape placement and welding.
4Speed
If fusing time is reduced using new tack-weld paradigm, then printing speed is improved, but bonding strength must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating preliminary tacks during the printing process that hold shapes in position, followed by separate welding operations that provide the final bonding strength. The tacks are sufficient to maintain position during rapid printing, enabling high speed, while the subsequent welding ensures adequate bonding strength. This two-stage approach resolves the contradiction between speed and strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal parameters from traditional prolonged heating to rapid tack-welding with controlled, shorter heating cycles. The tack-welding process uses optimized temperature and time parameters that are sufficient for rapid bonding during printing, while post-printing welding operations use different parameters to achieve final strength requirements. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between printing speed and bonding strength.
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 3D printing at speeds 20 to 25 times faster than existing methods, with objects featuring straight lines and large enclosed cross-sectional areas printed at nearly 30 times the speed, and those with thin curves printed at 8 to 10 times the speed, while maintaining specified tolerances.
Implementation Method 1
By using a new paradigm of tack followed by weld, the time spent inside the print cycle in fusing the thermoplastic material is reduced to a far shorter time of heating for tacking only.
Data Source
AI summary
A 3D printer that is mostly twenty to thirty times faster than existing 3D printers. Pixel-based Raster images are converted into Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) images, which are then categorized as lines, curves and surface areas. For each category, faster printing methods for printing with pre-formed shapes such as rods, boards, arcs, etc., are disclosed. Pre-formed shapes may be made of plastic/thermoplastic/polymer or sintering materials, as desired. Sintering materials may be cladded/coated with appropriate materials such as solder, copper, and thermoplastics. The new print-head, which has a fixed portion and a replaceable portion, has a mechanism to draw upon pre-formed shapes to print. The replaceable portion has varying shapes and sizes of placement holes, and a mechanism to signal which replaceable portion has been mounted. The print-head incorporates mechanisms to heat and tack the pre-formed shapes. The invention discloses methods to use multiple print-heads to further speed up printing.