The present invention generally relates to printing systems and specifically to heat treatment of 3D printed parts for improving transparency, smoothness and adhesion of layers.
This patent application claims priority from and is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/590,586, filed Nov. 26, 2017, this U.S. Provisional Patent Application incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
3D printing or Additive Manufacturing (AM), Fuse Depositing Modeling (FDM) and Fused Filament Fabrication (FFT) refer to any of the various processes for printing a three-dimensional object. Primarily additive processes are used, in which successive layers of material are laid down under computer control. These objects can be of almost any shape or geometry, and are produced from a 3D model or other electronic data source. Different types of 3D printers were developed over the years, such as 3D FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) printers. 3D FDM printers are mostly based on melting a filament, e.g. plastics, in a printer head.
Various problems arise while printing low and high temperature melting materials. During the 3D printing process, the 3D object is made by depositing layers, one on top of the other and the final object's surface finish is not smooth. Moreover, while printing high temperature melting materials e.g. glass objects, the refraction of the light through the relatively rough surface makes the object look opaque, or at least not transparent enough.
There is a long felt need for a system enabling to solve these problems while printing a 3D object with low and high melting temperature printing materials.
According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a system for improving transparency and/or smoothness and/or adhesion of layers of a 3D printed object, comprising: a base plate; a 3D printed object mounted on the base plate; a controller; a motion system connected with the base plate and controlled by the controller for enabling movement in Z axis and at least one more axis; and at least one treating device; the at least one treating device configured to be directed towards the 3D printed object for heating a target spot area on one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the 3D printed object during the movement of the base plate.
The 3D printed object may be made of one of glass, plastic and metal.
The system may further comprise a heated chamber having a first opening, and at least one second opening and/or at least one window; wherein the base plate and the 3D printed object are mounted inside the heated chamber; and the motion system, the controller and the treating device are mounted outside the heated chamber.
The system may further comprise a thermal insulation blanket configured to cover the first opening for insulating the heated chamber from the surrounding.
The controller may be configured to receive a representation of the 3D printed object and control the treating device and the movement of the base plate accordingly.
The controller may further be configured to move the base plate according to at least one of the 3D printed object's shape, the 3D printed object's contour and the thickness of the 3D printed object's walls.
The controller may further be configured to control the heating power of the treating device according to at least one of the 3D printed object's wall thickness and the 3D printed object's printing material.
The controller may further be configured to control the target spot area's size, exposure time and special heating patterns depending on the 3D printed object, the 3D printed object's wall thickness and the 3D printed object's printing material.
The treating device may be one of a laser source, a flame heat source and an arc heat source.
The laser beam of the laser source may be directed towards the 3D printed object via a mirror.
The treating device may be an arc heat source; the system may further comprise an air or gas source and a pipe connected on one end thereof to the air or gas source and configured to blow air or gas from its other end in order to direct the arc heat source's heat towards the 3D printed object.
The heated chamber may further comprise a third opening on its upper side; the system may further comprise: a printing nozzle mounted partially inside the heated chamber; a nozzle heating unit mounted inside the heated chamber; and a nozzle cooling unit mounted outside the heated chamber and surrounding the upper side of the printing nozzle for cooling the upper side of the printing nozzle.
The nozzle heating unit may be an induction coil mounted around the lower side of the printing nozzle at a distance from the outer surface of the printing nozzle for heating the printing nozzle; the system may further comprise an induction machine for activating the induction coil.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of improving transparency and/or smoothness and/or adhesion of layers of a 3D printed object, comprising: a. receiving, by a controller, a representation of a 3D object to be printed; b. printing, by a printing head, a layer of the 3D object on a base plate; c. activating, by the controller, a treating device and controlling the motion of the base plate for treating the printed layer; and d. repeating steps b and c until the 3D object is fully printed.
The method may further comprise: adjusting at least one of a heating intensity of the treating device; and a target spot area's size on one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the 3D printed object.
The 3D printed object may be made of one of glass, plastic and metal.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of improving transparency and/or smoothness and/or adhesion of layers of a 3D printed object, comprising: a. receiving, by a controller, a representation of a 3D object to be printed; b. printing, by a printing head, the 3D object on a base plate; and c. activating, by the controller, a treating device and controlling the motion of the base plate for treating the 3D object.
The method may further comprise: adjusting at least one of a heating intensity of the treating device; and a target spot area's size on one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the 3D printed object.
The 3D printed object may be made of one of glass, plastic and metal.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of improving transparency and/or smoothness and/or adhesion of layers of a 3D printed object, comprising: a. receiving, by a controller, a representation of a 3D object to be printed; b. printing, by a printing head, a layer of the 3D object on a base plate; and simultaneously activating, by the controller, a treating device for treating the printed layer; c. repeating step b until the 3D object is fully printed.
The method may further comprise: adjusting at least one of a heating intensity of the treating device; and a target spot area's size on one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the 3D printed object.
The 3D printed object may be made of one of glass, plastic and metal.
For better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, purely by way of example, to the accompanying drawings.
With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. In the accompanying drawings:
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is applicable to other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
The present invention provides a system for improving transparency and/or smoothness and/or adhesion of layers of a 3D printed object.
The capabilities of the system according to embodiments of the present invention may be applied to glass 3D printed object in order to improve the transparency of the object and/or the smoothness of the object's surface and/or the adhesion of the object's layers but also may be applied to plastic and metal 3D printed objects in order to smoothen the object's surface finish and/or the adhesion of the object's layers.
Using a controllable heat source (a treating device) e.g., a laser, a flame, an arc heating, etc. it is possible to melt a relatively small surface area and achieve the goal.
The melted material flows and smoothens the surface finish. Smoothing the glass 3D printed object's surface improves its transparency.
It will be appreciated that the described process may be implemented during the printing process or after printing in a separate process or even in a different device.
During a 3D printing process, a 3D object is made by depositing layers, one on top of the other which leads to a final object's surface finish which is not smooth. While printing high temperature melting materials, e.g., glass objects, the refraction of the light through the relatively rough surface makes the object look opaque, or at least not transparent enough.
If the printing material is a rod or a spool it is intended to be pushed by a feeding mechanism (not shown) from the upper cold side of the nozzle 115 towards the lower hot side of the nozzle 115 and heated and melted while passing through the nozzle that is heated by the heating unit 120. It will be appreciated that the system of the present invention is not limited to a specific feeding mechanism or to printing material which is a rod or a spool.
It will be appreciated that the TSA system 100 is not limited to include all the above parts. The mandatory parts which must be included in the TSA system 100 are a printing base plate/substrate; a printing head; printing material; a printer controller for controlling the TSA system 100; a printer motion system controlled by the printer controller and enabling movement in Z axis and at least one more axis (e.g., X, Y or a rotational movement of the base plate/substrate around Z axis); and at least one treating device (e.g., a laser source).
If the process is performed after printing in a separate device, the mandatory parts which must be included in this device are a base plate/substrate; a motion system controlled by a controller and enabling movement in Z axis and at least one more axis (e.g., X, Y or a rotational movement of the base plate/substrate around Z axis); and at least one treating device (e.g., a laser source).
According to embodiments of the present invention, for the purpose of e.g., adhesion of layers, the treating device may be directed towards a different location, i.e., the upper side of the previous printed layer.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the laser source 165 may also be used to create holes in the printed object, patterns on the object's wall, etc.
It will be appreciated that the nozzle heating unit 120 is not limited to an induction coil, e.g., resistance heating coils may be used.
It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to a single treating device and a single window or opening and any number of treating devices and windows or openings may be used. It will be appreciated that the at least one treating device may be fixed or movable by the printer controller.
It will be appreciated that the same process may be done for treating the inner surface of the 3D printed object 140.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the mirror 180 may be mounted inside the heated chamber 105. In such a case, the window or opening 170A is unnecessary. The laser source's laser beam passes through the window or opening 170 and is reflected back from the mirror 180 towards the 3D printed object 140 thus heating the target spot area on the outer surface of the 3D printed object 140 and smoothing the object's outer surface. It will be appreciated that the same process may be done for treating the inner surface of the 3D printed object 140.
Again, it will be appreciated that the TSA system 200 is not limited to include all the above parts. The mandatory parts which must be included in the TSA system 200 are a printing base plate/substrate; a printing head; printing material; a mirror; a printer controller for controlling the TSA system; a printer motion system controlled by the printer controller and enabling movement in Z axis and at least one more axis (e.g., X, Y or a rotational movement of the base plate/substrate around Z axis); and at least one treating device (e.g., a laser source).
If the process is performed after printing in a separate device, the mandatory parts which must be included in this device are a base plate/substrate; a mirror; a motion system controlled by a controller and enabling movement in Z axis and at least one more axis (e.g., X, Y or a rotational movement of the base plate/substrate around Z axis); and at least one laser source.
It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to a single flame heat source and a single opening and any number of flame heat sources and openings may be used. It will be appreciated that the at least one flame heat source may be fixed or movable by the printer controller.
It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to a single arc heat source and a single opening and any number of arc heat sources and openings may be used. It will be appreciated that the at least one arc heat source may be fixed or movable by the printer controller.
Again, it will be appreciated that the TSA system 300 and the TSA system 400 are not limited to include all the above parts. The mandatory parts which must be included in the TSA systems 300 or 400 are a printing base plate/substrate; a printing head; printing material; a printer controller for controlling the TSA system; a printer motion system controlled by the printer controller and enabling movement in Z axis and at least one more axis (e.g., X, Y or a rotational movement of the base plate/substrate around Z axis); and at least one treating device (e.g., a flame heat source, an arc heat source, etc.).
If the process is performed after printing in a separate device, the mandatory parts which must be included in this device are a base plate/substrate; a motion system controlled by a controller and enabling movement in Z axis and at least one more axis (e.g., X, Y or a rotational movement of the base plate/substrate around Z axis); and at least one treating device (e.g., a flame heat source, an arc heat source, etc.).
Again, it will be appreciated that the mandatory parts which must be included in the system 800 are a base plate/substrate; a motion system controlled by a controller and enabling movement in Z axis and at least one more axis (e.g., X, Y or a rotational movement of the base plate/substrate around Z axis); and at least one treating device (e.g., a laser source, flame heat source, etc.).
It will be appreciated that the motion systems (160/160A) of the above embodiments are not limited to be located underneath the heated chamber. According to embodiments of the present invention, the motion system (160,160A) may be located, e.g., alongside the heated chamber.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and includes combinations and sub-combinations of the various features described hereinabove as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/IB2018/059177 | 11/21/2018 | WO | 00 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62590586 | Nov 2017 | US |