PHOTOCURING TYPE 3D PRINTER AND PEELING METHOD FOR USING THE SAME

• US 20190077055A1
• Filed: 01/14/2018
• Published: 03/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kinpo Electronics Incorporated (Cal-Comp Electronics Public Company Limited), XYZprinting, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kinpo Electronics Incorporated (Cal-Comp Electronics Public Company Limited), XYZprinting, Inc.
• Inventors: JAU, Wei-Chun, KUO, Tsung-Hua, DING, Ming-Hsiung
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/442 with mechanical ejector or drive means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/129 characterised by the energy source therefor, e.g. by global irradiation combined with a mask
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/245 Platforms or substrates support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/379 Handling of additively manufactured objects, e.g. using robots
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes

Abstract

A photocuring type 3D printer (4) includes a sink (41) for containing a forming liquid (40), a glass layer (42) disposed on the sink (41), a membrane (43) disposed above the glass layer (42), an emitting unit (46) disposed below the sink (41), and a forming platform (45) arranged to immerse in the forming liquid (40) for constructing a model (5). The 3D printer (4) further includes an adjusting unit (44) disposed at one side of the sink (41). One end of the membrane (43) is connected to the adjusting unit (44), and another end of the membrane (43) is connected to the other side of the sink (41) opposite to the adjusting unit (44). The 3D printer (4) controls the adjusting unit (44) to execute homing for tightening the membrane (43) before solidifying the model (5) and controls the adjusting unit (44) to move for relaxing the membrane (43) after the model (5) is solidified, and controls the forming platform (45) to move after the membrane (43) is relaxed for peeling the model (5) from the membrane (43).

Claims

1. A photocuring type 3D printer (4), comprising:

a sink (41) for containing a forming liquid (40);

a glass layer (42) disposed on a bottom of the sink (41);

an adjusting unit (44) disposed on one side of the sink (41) and controlled to move horizontally;

a membrane (43) disposed above the glass layer (42), one side of the membrane (43) connected to the adjusting unit (44), the other side of the membrane (43) connected to the other side of the sink (41) opposite to the adjusting unit (44);

an emitting unit (46) disposed below the sink (41) and configured for emitting lights toward an internal side of the sink (41);

a forming platform (45) disposed above the sink (41); and

a microprocessor unit (47) electrically connected to the adjusting unit (44), the emitting unit (46) and the forming platform (45);

wherein, the microprocessor unit (47) is configured to control the adjusting unit (44) to execute homing for tightening the membrane (43) before starting to print a printing layer of a model (5), and the emitting unit (46) is configured to emit lights for solidifying the printing layer and attaching to the forming platform (45);

wherein the microprocessor unit (47) is configured to control the adjusting unit (44) to move for relaxing the membrane (43) after the printing layer is solidified, and is configured to control the forming platform (45) to move along a z axis for peeling the printing layer from the membrane (43).

2. The photocuring type 3D printer of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor unit (47) is configured to control the adjusting unit (44) to move horizontally toward an outward direction of the sink (41) to a homing location (400) for tightening the membrane (43), and to move horizontally toward a center of the sink (41) for relaxing the membrane (43).

3. The photocuring type 3D printer of claim 2, wherein the membrane (43) is polytetrafluoroethylene.

4. The photocuring type 3D printer of claim 2, further comprising a second adjusting unit (62, 72) disposed on other side of the sink (41) opposite to the adjusting unit (44), wherein the one side of the membrane (43) is connected to the adjusting unit (44), and the other side of the membrane (43) is connected to the second adjusting unit (62, 72).

5. The photocuring type 3D printer of claim 4, wherein the microprocessor unit (47) is configured to control at least one of the adjusting unit (44) and the second adjusting unit (62,72) to move horizontally to the outward direction of the sink (41) to the homing location (400) for tightening the membrane (43), and is configured to control at least one of the adjusting unit (44) and the second adjusting unit (62,72) to move horizontally to the center of the sink (41) for relaxing the membrane (43).

6. The photocuring type 3D printer of claim 2, wherein the adjusting unit (44) comprises:

a metal sheet (441) connected to the membrane (43); and

an electromagnet (442) disposed around the homing location (400) and electrically connected to the microprocessor unit (47);

wherein the microprocessor unit (47) is configured to control the electromagnet (442) to power on for attracting the metal sheet (441) to move horizontally to the homing location (400) for tightening the membrane (43) before printing the printing layer, and is configured to control the electromagnet (442) to power off to make the metal sheet (441) to move horizontally away from the electromagnet (442) for relaxing the membrane (43) after the printing layer is solidified.

7. The photocuring type 3D printer of claim 6, wherein the electromagnet (442) is disposed at an external side of the sink (41).

8. The photocuring type 3D printer of claim 6, wherein the adjusting unit (44) also comprises a limit unit for limiting the metal sheet (441) to be around the homing location (400).

9. The photocuring type 3D printer of claim 2, wherein the adjusting unit (44) comprises:

a connecting rod (445) with one end connected to the membrane (43); and

a motor (446) connected to the other end of the connecting rod (445) via a screw (447) and electrically connected to the microprocessor unit (47);

wherein the microprocessor unit (47) is configured to control the motor (446) to rotate toward a first direction for leading the connecting rod (445) to move horizontally toward the motor (446) to the homing location (400) for tightening the membrane (43) before printing the printing layer, and is configured to control the motor (446) to rotate toward a second direction for leading the connecting rod (445) to move horizontally away from the motor (446) for relaxing the membrane (43).

10. A peeling method used for a photocuring type 3D printer (4), the photocuring type 3D printer (4) having a sink (41) for containing a forming liquid (40), a glass layer (42) disposed on a bottom of the sink (41), a membrane (43) disposed above the glass layer (42) with one side of the membrane (43) connected to one side of the sink (41), an emitting unit (46) disposed below the sink (41), and a forming platform (45) disposed above the sink (41), and characterized in that the photocuring type 3D printer (4) further comprises an adjusting unit (44) disposed at the other side of the sink (41) and connected to other side of the membrane (43), and a microprocessor unit (47) electrically connected to the adjusting unit (44), the emitting unit (46) and the forming platform (45), and the peeling method comprising:

a) obtaining printing data corresponding to a printing layer of a model (5);

b) the microprocessor unit (47) controlling the adjusting unit (44) to execute homing for tightening the membrane (43) according to the printing data;

c) the microprocessor unit (47) controlling the forming platform (45) to move along a z axis so as to immerse in the forming liquid (40) and to locate at a printing height of the printing layer;

d) the microprocessor unit (47) controlling the emitting unit (46) to emit lights toward an internal side of the sink (41) for solidifying the printing layer and attaching to the forming platform (45);

e) the microprocessor unit (47) controlling the adjusting unit (44) to move horizontally for relaxing the membrane (43) after step d); and

f) the microprocessor unit (47) controlling the forming platform (45) to move along the z axis for peeling the printing layer from the membrane (43) after step e).

11. The peeling method for a photocuring type 3D printer of claim 10, further comprising following steps:

g) determining if the model (5) is completely printed after the printing layer is peeled from the membrane (43); and

h) obtaining printing data corresponding to a next printing layer of the model (5) before the model (5) is not completely printed and re-executing the step b) to the step f) according to the printing data of the next printing payer.

12. The peeling method for a photocuring type 3D printer of claim 11, wherein step g) is determining that the printing layer is peeled from the membrane (43) when the forming platform (45) moves to a threshold height.

13. The peeling method for a photocuring type 3D printer of claim 10, wherein step b) is controlling the adjusting unit (44) to move horizontally toward an outward direction of the sink (41) to a homing location (400);

step e) is controlling the adjusting unit (44) to move horizontally toward a center of the sink (41).

14. The peeling method for a photocuring type 3D printer of claim 13, wherein the adjusting unit (44) comprises a metal sheet (441) connected to the membrane (43), and a electromagnet (442) disposed around the homing location (400) and electrically connected to the microprocessor unit (47);

wherein step b) is controlling the electromagnet (442) to power on for attracting the metal sheet (441) to move horizontally toward the electromagnet (442) to the homing location (400), and step e) is controlling the electromagnet (442) to power off to make the metal sheet (441) to move horizontally away from the electromagnet (442).

15. The peeling method for a photocuring type 3D printer of claim 13, wherein the adjusting unit (44) comprises a connecting rod (445) with one end connected to the membrane (43), and a motor (446) connected to other end of the connecting rod (445) via a screw (447) and electrically connected to the microprocessor unit (47), wherein the step b) is controlling the motor (446) to rotate toward a first direction for leading the connecting rod (445) to move horizontally toward the motor (446) to the homing location (400), and step e) is controlling the motor (446) to rotate toward a second direction for leading the connecting rod (445) to move horizontally away from the motor (446).