CN109228312B

CN109228312B - Horizontal 3D printing device

Info

Publication number: CN109228312B
Application number: CN201811331316.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 郑天棋; 陈俊廷; 蔡树涛; 何海彬; 杨泽一; 吕昊屹
Original assignee: Southwest University of Science and Technology
Current assignee: Southwest University of Science and Technology
Priority date: 2018-11-09
Filing date: 2018-11-09
Publication date: 2021-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 2038-11-09
Also published as: CN109228312A

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of additive manufacturing, and discloses a transverse 3D printing device. This horizontal 3D printing device includes: a spray head movable along a vertical plane; and the printing platform can move along the horizontal direction, and the spray head is opposite to the printing platform. According to the invention, the printing platform moves along the horizontal direction relative to the spray head, so that the length of a printed piece printed by the printing platform can be infinitely prolonged, and the problem that the length of the printed piece of the existing printing device is limited is solved.

Description

Horizontal 3D printing device

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of additive manufacturing, in particular to a transverse 3D printing device.

Background

Existing 3D printers typically employ a vertical printing mechanism to print the workpiece. The heating spray head moves on an X-Y plane according to the profile information of the horizontal section of the workpiece, the thermoplastic silk material is conveyed to the spray head by the silk extruding mechanism and heated in the spray head to be melted, the melted silk material is coated on the printing platform along with the extrusion of the following silk material, and a layer of thin sheet is formed after cooling. And after the section of one layer is finished, the bottom plate platform descends by the height of one slice, then the next layer is melted and covered, and the steps are repeated in a circulating way, and finally the complete workpiece is printed.

The size of a workpiece printed by a traditional vertical 3D printer is restricted by the size of the frame of the printer. When the vertical printer is used for printing, the size of the printing bottom plate determines the maximum section size of a workpiece, so that the length and width of the workpiece are limited. The vertically printing heads need to be moved along a vertical frame (i.e., the Z-axis), and thus the height of the workpiece is limited by the height of the vertical frame, i.e., the longitudinal length of the workpiece.

Therefore, it is highly desirable to provide a novel lateral 3D printing apparatus to solve the above problems.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a transverse 3D printing device to solve the problem that the length of a printed piece of an existing printing device is limited.

In order to achieve the purpose, the invention adopts the following technical scheme:

a lateral 3D printing device, comprising:

a spray head movable along a vertical plane;

and the printing platform can move along the horizontal direction, and the spray head is opposite to the printing platform.

Preferably, the spray head comprises an effector for cooling the wire and a nozzle connected to the effector, the effector being fixed to the gantry structure, the nozzle being opposite the print platform.

Preferably, the gantry structure comprises a Y-direction guide rail and a Z-direction guide rail, and the spray head can move along the Y-direction guide rail and the Z-direction guide rail.

Preferably, the printing platform is fixedly arranged on a truss, the truss is sequentially connected with a manipulator and an X-direction lead screw, and the manipulator clamps the truss and then horizontally moves along the X-direction lead screw.

Preferably, the truss comprises a V-shaped structure connected to manipulators which grip on both sides of the V-shaped structure.

Preferably, the two side surfaces of the V-shaped structure are provided with a plurality of opposite through holes, and the manipulator is provided with a plurality of protrusions which are inserted and fixed in the through holes.

Preferably, the manipulator on one side of the V-shaped structure is provided with a light emitter, the manipulator on the other side is provided with a light receiver, and when a light signal sent by the light emitter passes through the through hole and is received by the light receiver, the protrusion can be inserted into the through hole; when the optical signal emitted by the optical transmitter is not received by the optical receiver, the protrusion cannot be inserted into the through hole.

Preferably, the manipulator positioned on one side of the V-shaped structure is provided with a reflective optical sensor integrating receiving and transmitting, and when light emitted by the reflective optical sensor passes through the through hole, the protrusion can be inserted into the through hole; when the light emitted by the reflective light sensor is blocked by the region outside the through hole and received by the reflective light sensor, the protrusion cannot be inserted into the through hole.

Preferably, the truss is arranged in a supporting frame, three rubber rollers are arranged on the upper periphery of the supporting frame, and each rubber roller abuts against the outer surface of the truss and is used for supporting the truss and connected with the truss in a rolling manner.

Preferably, a light detector is arranged at one end, opposite to the spray head, of the supporting frame, light emitted by the light detector is coplanar with the printing platform in the initial state, the light detector is used for detecting a printed matter formed on the printing platform in real time, and when the printed matter is not detected by the light detector, the mechanical arm drives the truss and the printing platform to move towards the spray head until the light detector detects the printed matter and stops.

The invention has the beneficial effects that:

according to the invention, the printing platform moves along the horizontal direction relative to the spray head, so that the length of a printed piece printed by the printing platform can be infinitely prolonged, and the problem that the length of the printed piece of the existing printing device is limited is solved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a lateral 3D printing apparatus provided by the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the structure of the nozzle head and the Y-rail of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural view of the support frame and truss of FIG. 1;

figure 4 is an exploded view of the robot and truss of figure 1.

In the figure:

1. a spray head; 11. an effector; 12. a nozzle;

2. a printing platform; 21. a truss; 22. a manipulator; 23. a screw rod in the X direction; 24. a support frame; 25. a rubber roller; 26. a photodetector; 211. a V-shaped structure; 212. a through hole; 221. a protrusion;

3. a gantry structure; 31. a Y-direction guide rail; 32. and a Z-direction guide rail.

Detailed Description

The technical scheme of the invention is further explained by the specific implementation mode in combination with the attached drawings.

As shown in fig. 1, it is a schematic structural diagram of a lateral 3D printing apparatus provided by the present invention. This horizontal 3D printing device includes shower nozzle 1 and print platform 2, wherein:

the spray head 1 is fixedly arranged on a gantry structure 3, the gantry structure 3 is vertical to the horizontal plane, the gantry structure 3 comprises a Y-direction guide rail 31 and a Z-direction guide rail 32, and the spray head 1 can move on the vertical plane along the Y-direction guide rail 31 and the Z-direction guide rail 32 in a motor-driven mode. The printing platform 2 is fixedly arranged on a truss 21, the truss 21 is sequentially connected with a manipulator 22 and an X-direction lead screw 23, the X-direction lead screw 23 is connected with a motor, and the manipulator 22 clamps the truss 21 and then horizontally moves along the X-direction lead screw 23. Particularly, two ends of the X-direction lead screw 23 are respectively provided with a stop block for stopping the manipulator 22 from moving to the two ends, and when the manipulator 22 moves from the initial end (i.e. the left end of the X-direction lead screw 23) to the other end (i.e. the right end of the X-direction lead screw 23), the manipulator 22 is separated from the truss 21 and is driven by the motor to return to the initial end for the next process. So relapse, can make the length of the printing of printing on the print platform 2 realize wireless extension in theory to the limited problem of the printing length of current printing device has been solved.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 2, the spray head 1 comprises an effector 11 for cooling the filament material and a nozzle 12 connected to the effector 11, the effector 11 is slidably disposed on a Y-direction guide 31 of the gantry structure 3, and the nozzle 12 is opposite to the printing platform 2. Be equipped with the heating block around nozzle 12, be equipped with radiator fan on the effector 11, the silk material is carried to the in-process of nozzle 12, avoids the heating block to become the premature heating of silk material melt state or half-molten state, and the radiator fan of effector 11 cools off the silk material before getting into the heating block, prevents that the silk material from taking place to block up in the inside of nozzle 12, and it is more smooth and easy to go out the silk when making to print, improves print quality.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 4, truss 21 includes a V-shaped structure 211 connected to robot 22, and robot 22 is clamped on both sides of V-shaped structure 211. The surfaces of the two sides of the V-shaped structure 211 are provided with a plurality of through holes 212, the manipulator 22 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 221, and the protrusions 221 are inserted and fixed in the through holes 212, so that the fixing degree of the manipulator 22 and the truss 21 is more firm, and relative sliding cannot occur.

Specifically, in order to realize the automatic fixing of the robot 22 and the truss 21, in one embodiment, the robot 22 on one side of the V-shaped structure 211 is provided with a light emitter (not shown), and the robot 22 on the other side is provided with a light receiver (not shown), when a light signal emitted by the light emitter passes through the through hole 212 and is received by the light receiver, the protrusion 221 can be inserted into the through hole 212; on the other hand, when the optical signal emitted from the optical transmitter is not received by the optical receiver, the protrusion 221 cannot be inserted into the through hole 212. In another embodiment, the manipulator 22 located at one side of the V-shaped structure 211 is provided with a reflective optical sensor integrated with the receiving and transmitting, and when light emitted by the reflective optical sensor passes through the through hole 212, the protrusion 221 can be inserted into the through hole 212; on the contrary, when the light emitted from the reflective photo sensor is blocked by the region outside the through hole 212 and received by the reflective photo sensor, the protrusion 221 cannot be inserted into the through hole 212.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 3, the truss 21 is disposed in a supporting frame 24, three rubber rollers 25 are disposed on the upper periphery of the supporting frame 24, and each rubber roller 25 abuts against the outer surface of the truss 21, is used for supporting the truss 21, and is in rolling connection with the truss 21. Through the rolling connection of the rubber roller 25 and the truss 21, the truss 21 can be ensured not to generate extra friction force when moving horizontally along the X-direction lead screw 23, and the relative sliding of the rubber roller 25 and the truss 21 can not occur.

Specifically, a light detector 26 is disposed at an end of the supporting frame 24 opposite to the nozzle 1, light emitted by the light detector 26 is coplanar with the printing platform 2 in an initial state, the light detector 26 is used for detecting a print formed on the printing platform 2 in real time, and when the light detector 26 does not detect the print, the manipulator 22 drives the truss 21 and the printing platform 2 to move towards the nozzle 1 until the light detector 26 detects the print, and then stops. For example, the precision of each right movement of the truss 21 in the invention is 0.2mm, and the layer height of each printing of the spray head 1 on the printing platform 2 is also 0.2 mm. After the truss 21 moves once, if the distance of the right movement of the truss 21 exceeds 0.2mm due to the deviation of the components such as the motor, etc., the photo detector 26 cannot detect the printed material manufactured on the printing platform 2, and at this time, the manipulator 22 needs to be controlled by the control assembly to drive the truss 21 and the printing platform 2 to move towards the direction of the nozzle 1 until the photo detector 26 detects the printed material, and then the movement is stopped.

It should be understood that the above-described embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. Other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art based on the foregoing description. And are neither required nor exhaustive of all embodiments. Any modification, equivalent replacement, and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lateral 3D printing device, comprising:

a nozzle (1) which can move along a vertical plane;

a printing platform (2) which can move along the horizontal direction, wherein the spray head (1) is opposite to the printing platform (2); the printing platform (2) is fixedly arranged on a truss (21), the truss (21) is sequentially connected with a manipulator (22) and an X-direction lead screw (23), and the manipulator (22) clamps the truss (21) and then horizontally moves along the X-direction lead screw (23);

the truss (21) is arranged in a supporting frame (24), three rubber rollers (25) are arranged on the upper periphery of the supporting frame (24), each rubber roller (25) is abutted to the outer surface of the truss (21) and used for supporting the truss (21) and is in rolling connection with the truss (21).

2. The lateral 3D printing device according to claim 1, wherein the head (1) comprises an effector (11) for cooling a filament and a nozzle (12) connected to the effector (11), the effector (11) being fixed to the gantry structure (3), the nozzle (12) being opposite the printing platform (2).

3. The lateral 3D printing device according to claim 2, wherein the gantry structure (3) comprises a Y-guide (31) and a Z-guide (32), the nozzles (1) being movable along the Y-guide (31) and the Z-guide (32).

4. The lateral 3D printing device according to claim 1, wherein the truss (21) comprises a V-shaped structure (211) connected to the robot (22), the robot (22) being clamped on both sides of the V-shaped structure (211).

5. The lateral 3D printing device according to claim 4, wherein the V-shaped structure (211) is provided with a plurality of opposing through holes (212) on both side surfaces, and the robot arm (22) is provided with a plurality of protrusions (221), the protrusions (221) being inserted and fixed in the through holes (212).

6. The lateral 3D printing device according to claim 5, wherein the manipulator (22) on one side of the V-shaped structure (211) is provided with a light emitter and the manipulator (22) on the other side is provided with a light receiver, the protrusion (221) being insertable into the through hole (212) when a light signal emitted by the light emitter is received by the light receiver after passing through the through hole (212); when the optical signal emitted by the optical transmitter is not received by the optical receiver, the protrusion (221) cannot be inserted into the through hole (212).

7. The lateral 3D printing device according to claim 5, wherein the manipulator (22) on one side of the V-shaped structure (211) is provided with a reflective optical sensor integrated with a transceiver, the protrusion (221) being insertable into the through hole (212) after light emitted by the reflective optical sensor has passed through the through hole (212); when the light emitted by the reflective light sensor is blocked by the region outside the through hole (212) and received by the reflective light sensor, the protrusion (221) cannot be inserted into the through hole (212).

8. The lateral 3D printing device according to claim 1, wherein an end of the support frame (24) opposite to the nozzle (1) is provided with a light detector (26), wherein light emitted by the light detector (26) is coplanar with the printing platform (2) in an initial state, wherein the light detector (26) is configured to detect a print formed on the printing platform (2) in real time, and when no print is detected by the light detector (26), the manipulator (22) drives the truss (21) and the printing platform (2) to move towards the nozzle (1) until the light detector (26) detects a print.