Rotating Drum Carrier for Selective Ink Application in 3D Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 3D printing techniques using liquid photopolymerizable materials for forming shaped bodies, such as dental restorations, face challenges with position-dependent coloration due to uncontrolled ink penetration and spreading in loose powder beds, leading to unsatisfactory color retention and porous structures that cannot be sintered into dense forms.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a drum-shaped carrier for rotating production platforms between processing stations, allowing for compact and time-efficient construction with parallel processing, where ink is applied selectively and fixed on polymerized layers to ensure precise color distribution and retention, using a combination of inkjet printing and exposure for binding the colorants within the photopolymerizable material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If 3D printing techniques using loose powder bed are used for coloration, then colorants can be applied to shaped bodies, but ink penetration and spreading occur due to capillary forces leading to uncontrolled color distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the material from loose powder to viscous liquid photopolymerizable material. This parameter change eliminates capillary forces that cause uncontrolled ink penetration in powder beds, while the viscosity of the liquid material allows for controlled ink application and precise color distribution before polymerization locks the colorants in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite system combining photopolymerizable liquid material with colorants. The liquid material serves as both the structural building block and the medium for controlled colorant application. After layering, UV exposure polymerizes the material, creating a composite structure where colorants are locked within the polymerized matrix, preventing spreading while maintaining position-selective coloration.
2Ease of manufacture
If processing stations are arranged linearly for ink application and polymerization, then processing steps can be performed sequentially, but the device occupies large space and processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a linear one-dimensional arrangement of processing stations to a two-dimensional circular configuration. The production platform rotates on a drum-shaped carrier, allowing processing stations to be positioned around the circumference. This dimensional change enables multiple stations to occupy less linear space while maintaining sequential processing capability through rotational movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic rotation of the production platform on the drum-shaped carrier. Instead of moving the platform linearly between fixed stations, the platform rotates to bring different layers or surfaces into position with the appropriate processing station. This dynamic approach allows flexible access to different parts of the shaped body while maintaining a compact circular footprint.
3Reliability
If multiple production platforms are processed sequentially in linear arrangement, then each platform receives complete processing, but processing time increases and parallel processing is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent arranges multiple production platforms vertically stacked on the drum-shaped carrier rather than sequentially in a line. This vertical stacking in the third dimension allows multiple platforms to occupy the same horizontal footprint. The rotational mechanism can bring different platforms into position with processing stations at different times, enabling parallel processing of multiple platforms without increasing the device's horizontal footprint.
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
Enables the creation of shaped bodies with desired position-dependent coloration in a spatially compact and efficient manner, suitable for dental restorations, by ensuring ink remains bound and color distribution is preserved, allowing for the production of dense structures without additional infiltration steps.
Implementation Method 1
a layer of viscous liquid material is defined on a production platform, the layer is polymerized in an exposure region having a predetermined contour by exposure
Implementation Method 2
ink is applied onto at least one layer inside the predetermined contour, wherein the production platform is suspended moveably and wherein the production platform is brought after the polymerization of a layer in a processing station for polymerizing a layer by movement to an ink application station as a further processing station in which ink is applied position-selectively to the layer formed last
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for the construction of a shaped body from photopolymerizable material by using lithography-based generative production (rapid prototyping), in which a layer of liquid photopolymerizable material is defined on a production platform (1, 2, 3, 4), the layer is polymerized in an exposure region having a predetermined contour by exposure, a further layer of photopolymerizable material is defined on the polymerized layer, the layer defined last is polymerized by exposure in an exposure region having a predetermined contour for the layer defined last, and the latter two steps are repeated until a shaped body having a predetermined shape has been formed by the sequence of cured layers with contours predetermined layer by layer, wherein ink is applied onto at least one layer inside the predetermined contour, wherein the production platform is suspended moveably and wherein the production platform is brought, after the polymerization of a layer in a processing station for polymerizing a layer, by movement to an ink application station as a further processing station in which ink is applied position-selectively to the layer formed last, after which the production platform is moved again to the processing station for polymerizing a further layer, characterized in that the movement of the production platform between various processing stations is carried out by rotating a drum-shaped carrier which holds the production platform on its circumference, around a horizontal or vertical axis of rotation, wherein the processing stations are disposed distributed around the axis of rotation of the drum shaped carrier.