JP-7857312-B2 - Method for transferring particulate structural materials in a 3D printer

JP7857312B2JP 7857312 B2JP7857312 B2JP 7857312B2JP-7857312-B2

Inventors

ミュンツァー・ヤーノシュ
ヴェーデマイヤー・フランク
ヴィントゲンス・ルドルフ

Assignees

レンペ・メスナー・シントー・ゲゼルシャフト・ミト・ベシュレンクテル・ハフツング

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220322
Priority Date: 20210324

Claims (9)

A method for transporting particulate structural material (2) in a 3D printer, In a method for transferring particulate structural material (2) from a coating device (1) onto a structural field (4) in the form of a structural material curtain (6), Optical monitoring of the structural material curtain (6), which consists of particulate structural material (2), is performed in the region of the structural material curtain (6) between the coating apparatus (1) and the structural field (4) during the work step of transferring the particulate structural material (2). One or more cameras are used to form an image of the structural material curtain (6), and the image of the structural material curtain (6) is an image, a sequence of images, or a video. From the image of the formed structural material curtain (6), at least one dimension of the structural material curtain (6) is identified, which includes the thickness (11) of the structural material curtain and/or the height (22) and/or width (25) of the structural material deposit. The image and/or at least one specified dimension is compared with the corresponding reference image and/or a predetermined reference value. A method characterized by controlling or changing at least one transport variable for the transport of particulate structural material (2), and consequently the amount of particulate structural material (2) to be transported, when the image deviates from a reference image and/or when the dimensions specified deviate from the corresponding reference values.
The method according to claim 1, characterized in that optical monitoring of the structural material curtain (6) and/or structural material deposit (20) is performed in at least one direction toward the structural material curtain (6) and/or structural material deposit (20), and at that time, an image of the structural material curtain (6) and/or structural material deposit (20) or an image of a partial region of the structural material curtain (6) and/or structural material deposit (20) is formed in a side view and/or front view and/or perspective view.
The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the dimensions of the structural material curtain (6) further include length (13), height (14 ), or angle (12), and the dimensions of the structural material deposit (20) further include length (21) , interior angle (23), or inclination angle (24).
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the variables for the transport of the particulate structural material (2) are the amount of particulate structural material (2) to be transported per unit time, the amount of particulate structural material (2) to be transported per unit area, the moving speed of the 3D printer's working means on the surface of the structural field (4), or the change in the amount of particulate structural material (2) to be transported over time.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the amount of particulate structural material (2) to be transported is changed over time at a fixed frequency or at a frequency that changes over time.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that optical monitoring of the particulate structural material (2) to be transported is performed by dividing the area of the structural material curtain (6) and/or the area of the structural material deposit (20) into multiple sub-regions, wherein the sub-regions extend in the longitudinal or transverse direction of the structural material curtain (6) and/or the structural material deposit (20).
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the partial regions, when totaled, cover all areas of the structural material curtain (6) and/or all areas of the structural material deposit (20).
The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the transport variables for the transport of the particulate structural material (2) are varied differently in different sub-regions.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the transfer variables of the amount of particulate structural material (2) to be transferred per unit time and/or the amount of particulate structural material (2) to be transferred per area are controlled by changing the number of porous gas outlet means (18) used in the fluidizer (1) and/or the gas pressure applied to the porous gas outlet means (18) using the fluidizer (1).

Description

This invention relates to a method for transferring particulate structural material in a 3D printer, in which particulate structural material is transferred from a coating machine to a structural field in the form of a structural material curtain. The application of particulate structural material to a structural field is understood to involve both the transfer of particulate structural material onto the surface of the structural field and the smoothing of the transferred particulate structural material on the structural field. This invention particularly affects the transport of particulate structural materials onto a structural field. In particular, it is desirable that the uniform transfer of particulate structural material on the structural field be monitored in 3D printers, and that irregularities be recognized during the transfer of particulate structural material from the coating device. When such non-uniformity is recognized, it is automatically reduced or eliminated by appropriate measures. For this purpose, corresponding variables regarding the transfer of particulate structural material are affected. It is well known that so-called 3D printing, or so-called 3D printing methods, are used to manufacture parts, workpieces, or molded products, either individually or in mass production. In such printing methods, three-dimensional parts or workpieces are manufactured in a layered manner. This formation is performed under computer control, using predetermined means and forms, from one or more types of fluid or solid materials. Reference values for the part or workpiece to be printed may be provided, for example, by a so-called computer-aided design system (CAD). During the printing of 3D structures or 3D parts, a physical or chemical curing or melting process is performed on the particulate structural material, also known as the molding material. Materials used in such 3D printing methods include structural and molding materials such as plastics, synthetic resins, ceramics, minerals, sand, and metals. When implementing 3D printing, various manufacturing processes are publicly known. However, some of the processes in these methods include method steps illustrated below. - Partial or complete application of particulate structural material, also known as particulate material or powdered forming material, onto a so-called structural field. This forms a layer of uncured particulate material, and the partial or complete application of particulate structural material includes the transfer and smoothing of the particulate structural material. - For example, selective curing of an attached layer consisting of uncured particulate structural material in a predetermined subregion by selective compression, application, attachment, or use of a laser, such as selective compression, application, or attachment of a treatment agent, such as a binder. - Repeating a preceding method step on another layer plane for forming a part or workpiece in layers. For this purpose, the part or workpiece formed or coated in layers on the structural field is lowered with the structural field by one layer plane or layer thickness each time, or the 3D printing device is raised relative to the structural field by one layer plane or layer thickness each time, after which a new layer is applied partially or entirely. - The subsequent removal of any uncured, loose, particulate structural material surrounding the manufactured part or workpiece. From the prior art, various methods are known for forming 3D structures or for transferring and coating particulate structural materials onto a structural field in order to form 3D structures. A method and apparatus for applying a fluid, as well as its use, are publicly known in German Patent No. 10117875. The method for applying a fluid, particularly concerning a particulate material applied to an area to be coated, involves applying the fluid to the area to be coated in front of the blade, viewed in the direction of the blade's forward movement, and then the blade moving over the applied fluid. The objective is to provide an apparatus, method, and use of apparatus that can achieve the most even distribution of a fluid material on an area to be covered. To solve this problem, it is envisioned that the blade perform a certain type of rotational vibration. This vibrational rotation of the blade fluidizes the fluid attached to the area to be coated. This not only allows for the application of particulate materials, which tend to aggregate, as flatly and smoothly as possible, but also allows for influence on the compression of the fluid by the vibration. In a preferred embodiment, it is assumed that excess fluid is applied to the area to be covered. Therefore, the constant movement of a blade vibrating with a certain rotational motion causes the excess fluid to be homogenized in a roller formed from the fluid or particulate material by the forward movement of the blade, in front of the blade as viewed in t