Sequential Drop Curing for Metal 3D Printing Support Pillars
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional 3D printing methods face challenges in efficiently printing support structures for metal objects, particularly in maintaining structural integrity and controlling the thermal balance during the printing of weak support structures, which can be slow and difficult to manage.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the sequential ejection and curing of print material drops to form pillars, with each drop fully curing before subsequent drops are printed, allowing for the formation of a sacrificial support structure that can be easily removed after printing, ensuring structural integrity and reproducibility of pillar height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If weak support structures are printed from the same material as the completed structure using conventional metal drop printing, then the support structures can be separated and removed after printing, but the printing process becomes slow and difficult to control due to delicate thermal balance
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure printing process is segmented into distinct phases: printing the first drop, allowing it to cure, then printing subsequent drops. This segmentation allows each drop to solidify before the next is added, eliminating thermal interference and enabling faster printing speeds while maintaining support structure integrity for later removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The first drop is printed and allowed to cure completely before subsequent drops are printed. This preliminary curing action establishes a stable foundation that prevents thermal interference, enabling faster printing of subsequent drops while ensuring the support structure maintains its shape and can be removed later.
2Productivity
If multiple drops are printed sequentially without full curing between drops, then printing speed increases, but thermal interference causes flattening issues and reduces reproducibility of pillar height
Solution Approach 1:
The printing process uses periodic action by printing one drop, waiting for it to cure, then printing the next drop. This periodic cycle ensures each drop solidifies before the next is added, preventing thermal interference and flattening issues while maintaining consistent pillar heights and improving overall printing speed through optimized curing intervals.
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 enhances printing speed, maximizes product throughput, and improves the reproducibility of pillar height by reducing thermal interference and flattening issues, while allowing for the removal of support structures without damaging the printed product.
Implementation Method 1
curing each first drop; then ejecting only a second drop of the print material sequentially onto the first drop at each of the plurality of pillar locations from the print head after curing each first drop; curing each second drop
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A method for printing a structure, the structure including a plurality of pillars. The method for printing can include ejecting only a first drop of a print material such as a liquid metal sequentially at each of a plurality of pillar locations, then ejecting only a second drop of the print material sequentially onto the first drop at each of the plurality of print locations. Additional drops can be ejected at two or more of the pillar locations to form the plurality of pillars. Ejecting only a first drop at each pillar location allows the first drop to cure (i.e., cool or dry) before ejecting the second drop. The printer continues printing while the drops cure, thus improving processing efficiency and increasing production throughput.