3D Printing Movable Projector Trajectory Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 3D printing technologies, such as DLP, are energy- and time-consuming due to inefficient light projection and layer formation processes, which require unnecessary energy and time for printing horizontal layers.
Innovation Solution
A 3D printing system with a movable projector capable of moving on a 2D plane, a container with photosensitive liquid, and a building platform that moves perpendicularly, uses processing circuitry to divide layers into clusters, categorize them, and optimize overlay regions for efficient light projection, reducing unnecessary energy consumption by removing non-essential overlay regions and determining optimal projection trajectories.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the projector travels along the entire plurality of regions without considering cluster positioning, then complete coverage is ensured, but energy consumption and printing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes unnecessary overlay regions that do not contain any clusters from the projector's travel path. By identifying and eliminating these redundant regions, the system reduces both energy consumption and printing time while maintaining complete coverage of all actual cluster areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of projecting light across the entire layer area, the system applies partial action by limiting light projection only to the specific overlay regions containing clusters. This selective approach avoids excessive energy expenditure on empty spaces while ensuring all necessary areas are covered.
2Manufacturing precision
If the projector travels along the entire plurality of regions, then all areas are covered, but the number of projection steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes overlay regions without clusters from the projection sequence, reducing the total number of projection steps required while maintaining complete coverage of all cluster areas through the optimized trajectory.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis to identify and map all cluster positions before projection begins. This advance preparation enables the projector to follow an optimized trajectory that covers all necessary areas in the minimum number of steps, ensuring layer completeness without unnecessary delays.
3Loss of energy
If overlay regions are optimized to contain only necessary clusters, then energy consumption decreases, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the layer into discrete overlay regions and identifies which regions contain clusters. This segmentation approach organizes the complexity into manageable units, allowing the system to process and optimize each region independently while reducing overall energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex mechanical optimization with computational algorithms that automatically identify cluster positions and generate optimized projection trajectories. This substitution of computational methods for mechanical trial-and-error reduces processing complexity while achieving energy efficiency.
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 energy and time consumption by optimizing light projection and layer formation, enhancing the efficiency of the 3D printing process.
Implementation Method 1
a container capable of containing a photosensitive liquid material directed to solidify in response to an encounter with an emitted light generated by the moveable projector
Data Source
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AI summary
A three-dimensional (3D) printing system and method for printing a 3D model by determining a projection trajectory for each cross-sectional layer of the 3D model being printed such that a projector capable of operating according to the projection trajectory can print a given pattern associated with each of the cross-sectional layers of the 3D model without having to travel along the entire surface of the given cross-sectional layer.