KR102625965B1 - 3d printer including individual controllable storage - Google Patents

Abstract

A 3D printer is provided that includes storage boxes that can be individually controlled. A 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an output device that produces a 3D output from raw materials; A plate provided below the output device on which the 3D output is placed; a plate transfer device that transfers the plate along a predetermined transfer path when production of the 3D printed object mounted on the plate is completed; And a plate storage device consisting of a plurality of storage boxes, wherein the 3D output and the plate are inserted together into one of the plurality of storage boxes, wherein the 3D output is placed on different plates each time the raw material is changed. They are sequentially introduced into different storage bins by a plate transfer device, and each storage bin is individually controlled to have different storage environments depending on the raw materials.

Description

3D PRINTER INCLUDING INDIVIDUAL CONTROLLABLE STORAGE}

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a 3D printer that can prevent product contamination and improve production efficiency even in the absence of an operator.

Recently, as the production of various three-dimensional printed objects using 3D printers increases, the demand for 3D printers is gradually increasing. Generally, 3D printers produce 3D prints by melting materials at high temperature and then extruding them at a certain pressure through an extrusion nozzle and layering them. Afterwards, the 3D output is transported by the worker and stored in a storage box exposed to the outside.

However, in this case, as the 3D printed product is exposed to the outside, contamination due to bacteria and suspended matter may occur, which may increase the defect rate of the product. In particular, when class 4 medical devices implantable into the human body are produced as 3D prints, the occurrence of contamination and increased defect rates due to bacteria and floating substances may further intensify.

Conventionally, in order to minimize the occurrence of such contamination and increase in the defect rate, methods such as operating a thermohygrostat 24 hours a day, manually managing the storage environment of the product by having workers work in shifts, or covering the product with a barrier to block access to bacteria and floating matter. There was effort. However, these conventional efforts have the problem of requiring a lot of manpower and time, and have the limitation of not being able to individually match the various storage environments (or storage conditions) of different class 4 implantable medical devices made of different raw materials.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2542807 (2023.06.08)

Embodiments of the present invention are intended to prevent product contamination and improve production efficiency by automating the transport and storage process of 3D printed products and at the same time allowing the storage environment of each storage box to be individually controlled differently depending on the raw materials of the 3D printed products. .

According to an exemplary embodiment, an output device for producing a 3D output from raw materials; A plate provided below the output device on which the 3D output is placed; a plate transfer device that transfers the plate along a predetermined transfer path when production of the 3D printed object mounted on the plate is completed; And a plate storage device consisting of a plurality of storage boxes, wherein the 3D output and the plate are inserted together into one of the plurality of storage boxes, wherein the 3D output is placed on different plates each time the raw material is changed. A 3D printer is provided that includes individually controllable storage boxes, which are sequentially loaded into different storage boxes by a plate transfer device, and each storage box is individually controlled to have different storage environments depending on the raw materials.

Each of the storage boxes includes a seating portion on which the plate is mounted; a thermoelectric element attached to the lower portion of the seating portion to cool or heat the plate; and an ultraviolet irradiation lamp that irradiates ultraviolet rays toward the 3D output from at least one side of each storage box, wherein the storage temperature of each storage box is individually controlled differently by the thermoelectric element depending on the raw material, and the storage temperature of each storage box is controlled differently depending on the raw material. The ultraviolet ray irradiation time by the ultraviolet ray irradiation lamp can be individually controlled differently.

Fans may be provided on both sides of the plate storage device to circulate and purify the air inside the plate storage device.

Each of the storage boxes and the plates introduced into each storage box are automatically labeled according to the raw materials, and each plate can be sequentially introduced into each storage box according to the labeling.

The door of the plate storage device may be configured to automatically close when all plates are inserted into each storage box according to the labeling.

The plate transfer device includes a body frame; a support portion provided on an upper portion of the body frame to support a lower surface of the plate; a first transfer unit for transferring the support unit in the X-axis direction; a second transfer unit provided in a direction perpendicular to the first transfer unit to transfer the body frame in the Y-axis direction; and a third transfer unit provided in a direction perpendicular to the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit to transfer the body frame in the Z-axis direction.

The plate transfer device includes a seating plate provided at the rear end of the support unit and having a plate shape of a predetermined size; Inspection equipment installed on the seating plate to determine whether the 3D output is defective by photographing the 3D output on the plate mounted on the support portion; And it is installed on the seating plate, and may further include a removal device that removes the 3D output from the plate when the 3D output is determined to be defective by the inspection equipment.

The removal equipment includes a scraper that scrapes the 3D output on the plate while moving forward or backward on the plate; A defect processing box provided on the seating plate to have a space of a predetermined size to store the 3D output to be removed by the scraper; And it may include a scraper controller that is coupled to the defective product processing box and controls forward or backward movement of the scraper.

When the inspection equipment determines that the 3D output has been completely removed from the plate, the plate is moved to the lower side of the output device by the plate transfer device, and the 3D output is reproduced and placed on the plate. The reproduced 3D output and the plate may be introduced into one of the plurality of storage boxes by the plate transfer device.

According to embodiments of the present invention, each 3D print output through a 3D printer is placed on a different plate and sequentially introduced into each different storage box, and each storage box is individually stored in a different storage environment according to the raw material of the 3D print product. By being able to control it, it is possible to prevent product contamination and improve production efficiency.

In addition, according to embodiments of the present invention, defects in the 3D output can be determined in real time by inspection equipment during the transport of the 3D output, and the defective 3D output can be immediately discarded and then reproduced. By doing so, it is possible to minimize the defect rate of 3D printed products and at the same time minimize the delay due to defects in 3D printed products.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a front view of a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a side view of a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a diagram showing the production process of a 3D output by an output device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a diagram showing the detailed configuration of a plate transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a diagram showing a process in which a plate on which a 3D output is seated is transferred by a plate transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a diagram showing the process of determining whether a 3D print placed on a plate is defective using inspection equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a diagram showing the process of determining whether a 3D print mounted on a plate is defective using inspection equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a diagram showing the process of determining whether a 3D print placed on a plate is defective using inspection equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 10 is a diagram showing the process in which 3D prints and plates are sequentially introduced into each storage box of the plate storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 11 is a diagram showing a state in which a 3D print and a plate are introduced into a storage box according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 12 is a view showing a closed state of the door of the plate storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 13 is a diagram showing the detailed configuration of a plate storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 14 is a diagram showing the detailed configuration of a plate storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 15 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the storage environment of each storage box is individually controlled through a 3D printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
16 is a block diagram illustrating and illustrating a computing environment including a computing device suitable for use in example embodiments.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The detailed description below is provided to provide a comprehensive understanding of the methods, devices and/or systems described herein. However, this is only an example and the present invention is not limited thereto.

In describing the embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of the known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the terms described below are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, and may vary depending on the intention or custom of the user or operator. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the contents throughout this specification. The terminology used in the detailed description is merely for describing embodiments of the present invention and should in no way be limiting. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, singular forms include plural meanings. In this description, expressions such as “comprising” or “comprising” are intended to indicate certain features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof, and one or more than those described. It should not be construed to exclude the existence or possibility of any other characteristic, number, step, operation, element, or part or combination thereof.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a 3D printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of a 3D printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a 3D printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a side view of the 3D printer 100. The 3D printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an output device 110, a plate 120, a plate transfer device 130, a main control unit 140, and a plate storage device 200.

In these embodiments, the 3D printer 100 is a device that generates and discharges 3D output. For example, the 3D printer 100 may produce 3D output using FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling). Here, the 3D output may be, for example, a class 4 medical device implantable into the human body, such as artificial cheekbones, skull molding materials, artificial knee joints, etc. However, the type of 3D output is not limited to this, and the 3D output may be, for example, a three-dimensional accessory, toy, or sculpture.

The output device 110 is a device that produces 3D output from raw materials. Here, the raw material is a thermoplastic material used to produce 3D output, and may be, for example, polycaprolactone (PCL), polydioxanone (PDO), or polylactic acid (PLLA). As will be described later, these raw materials have different melting points, and accordingly, the storage environment for 3D printed products also varies depending on the raw material.

For example, this output device 110 may be an extruder that melts raw materials and produces 3D output through an extrusion nozzle. The output device 110 can produce a 3D output through an extrusion nozzle after melting the raw material at a preset melting temperature depending on the type of raw material. The melting temperature can be controlled by the main control unit 140, which will be described later.

The plate 120 is provided on the lower side of the output device 110 and is a part on which the 3D output is placed. The plate 120 may be shaped like a plate of a predetermined size so that the 3D output can be placed on it. As will be described later, the plate 120 may be transferred by the plate transfer device 130 and placed into one of several storage boxes of the plate storage device 200.

The plate transfer device 130 transfers the plate 120 along a predetermined transfer path when production of the 3D output mounted on the plate 120 is completed. As will be described later, the plate transfer device 130 can move in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions respectively using the You can. The plate transfer device 130 can lift the plate 120 on which the 3D output is mounted and then transfer it along a predetermined transfer path. Specifically, the plate transfer device 130 can transfer the plate 120 located on the lower side of the output device 110 to the plate storage device 200 and insert it into the storage box.

The main control unit 140 is electrically connected to each component of the 3D printer 100 and controls the operation of each component. First, the main control unit 140 can control the operation of the output device 110. The main control unit 140 can control the melting temperature of the raw material in the output device 110, the movement of the output device 110, and the operation of the extrusion nozzle in the output device 100. In addition, the main control unit 140 can control the transfer path and movement of the plate transfer device 130 and the storage environment of each storage box in the plate storage device 200. To this end, each storage box and the plates entering each storage box can be automatically labeled according to the raw materials. That is, when information about the type and raw material of the 3D output is input by an operator or manager, the main control unit 140 can automatically label each storage box and the plates entering each storage box according to the raw materials. Examples of labeling for each storage box and the plates entering each storage box can be expressed as Table 1 below.

Raw materials plate label storage bin labels PCL-1 Plate #1 Storage # 1 PCL-2 Plate #2 Storage#2 PCL-3 Plate #3 Storage#3 PCL-4 Plate #4 Storage#4 … … …

The main control unit 140 can control the path and movement of the plate transfer device 130 according to the labeling result, that is, the label, and control the storage environment of each storage box in the plate storage device 200. For example, the main control unit 140 may control the plate transfer device 130 so that Plate # 1 is introduced into Storage # 1, and the plate transfer device 130 may be controlled so that Plate # 2 is entered into Storage # 2. there is. Additionally, the main control unit 140 can individually control the storage environments of Storage #1 and Storage #2 differently.

The plate storage device 200 is made up of a plurality of storage boxes, and the 3D output and the plate 120 are placed together in one of the plurality of storage boxes. The plate storage device 200 may be comprised of, for example, four storage boxes, and each time a 3D print is produced, the plate 120 on which the 3D print is seated may be sequentially inserted into one of the four storage boxes. . Each storage box in the plate storage device 200 may be physically separated to have different storage environments.

In these embodiments, the 3D output is placed on a different plate 120 whenever the raw material is changed and sequentially introduced into each different storage bin by the plate transfer device 130, and each storage bin is stored differently depending on the raw material. Can be individually controlled with different storage environments. Hereinafter, each component of the 3D printer 100 described above and their operations will be looked at in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 14.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the production process of a 3D output by the output device 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the output device 110 can move on the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis respectively under the control of the main control unit 140. To this end, the output device 110 can move in conjunction with the first transfer unit 110a, the second transfer unit 110b, and the third transfer unit 110c, respectively.

The first transfer unit 110a transfers the output device 110 on the X-axis under the control of the main control unit 140.

The second transfer unit 110b transfers the output device 110 on the Y axis under the control of the main control unit 140.

The third transfer unit 110c transfers the output device 110 on the Z-axis under the control of the main control unit 140.

The first transfer unit 110a and the second transfer unit 110b guide the transfer of the output device 110 using, for example, a ball screw, and the third transfer unit 110c uses a lead, for example. The movement of the output device 110 can be guided using a lead screw and a step motor. The main control unit 140 can control the operation of the first transfer unit 110a, the second transfer unit 110b, and the third transfer unit 110c according to the shape of the 3D output, and accordingly, the 3D output from the output device 110 can be produced.

At this time, the output device 110 may be equipped with a heater for melting the raw material, a temperature sensor for detecting and controlling the temperature of the heater, and an extrusion nozzle for extruding the raw material in a molten state. Additionally, a height sensor 120 may be provided on one side of the output device 110 to measure the distance between the extrusion nozzle and the plate 120. The height sensor 120 measures the distance between the extrusion nozzle and the plate 120, and based on this, can prevent collision between the extrusion nozzle and the plate 120 and control the flatness of the 3D output.

The output device 110 moves on the 3D prints can be produced.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing the detailed configuration of the plate transfer device 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 6 is a plate on which a 3D output is placed by the plate transfer device 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram showing the process in which (120) is transferred.

Referring to Figure 5, the plate transfer device 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a body frame 131, a support unit 132, a first transfer unit 133, a second transfer unit 134, and a third transfer unit ( 135), a seating plate 136, inspection equipment 137, and removal equipment 138.

The body frame 131 is a part of the body of the plate transfer device 130. As will be described later, a support portion 132 may be provided on the upper portion of the body frame 131.

The support part 132 is provided on the upper part of the body frame 131 and supports the lower surface of the plate 120. The support portion 132 may be shaped like a pair of bars to support the lower surface of the plate 120. The support portion 132 may be inserted into the lower side of the plate 120 and lift the plate 120 while supporting the lower surface of the plate 120 . A pair of support portions 132 may be formed to extend at a predetermined interval from the end of the seating plate 136, which will be described later.

The first transfer unit 133 transfers the support unit 132 in the X-axis direction. To this end, the first transfer unit 133 may be equipped with a transfer belt for transporting the support unit 132. A protrusion (not shown) for fastening to the first transfer unit 133 may be formed on the lower part of the seating plate 136, and the protrusion moves forward or backward along the first transfer unit 133 to support the support unit 132. can be transported in the X-axis direction.

The second transfer unit 134 is provided in a direction perpendicular to the first transfer unit 133 and transfers the body frame 131 in the Y-axis direction. The second transfer unit 134 may be provided below the body frame 131 and may be provided with a transfer belt for transport of the body frame 131. A protrusion (not shown) for fastening to the second transfer unit 134 may be formed on the lower part of the body frame 131, and the protrusion moves left and right along the second transfer unit 134 to move the body frame 131. It can be transported in the Y-axis direction.

The third transfer unit 135 is provided in a direction perpendicular to the first transfer unit 133 and the second transfer unit 134 and transfers the body frame 131 in the Z-axis direction. The third transfer unit 135 may be connected to the body frame 131 and may guide the transfer of the body frame 131 using a lead screw and a step motor.

Referring to FIG. 6, the plate transfer device 130 transfers the body frame 131 in the upper Z-axis direction through the third transfer unit 135 and then moves the support unit 132 along the X-axis through the first transfer unit 133. The support portion 132 may be positioned below the plate 120 by moving forward in this direction. In addition, the plate transfer device 130 transfers the body frame 131 in the upper Z-axis direction through the third transfer unit 135 while the support unit 132 is located on the lower side of the plate 120, so that the body frame 131 is placed on the support unit 132. The plate 120 can be seated on the. At this time, the plate transfer device 130 can adjust the position of the body frame 131 in the Y-axis direction through the second transfer unit 134, and when the plate 120 is seated on the support unit 132, the first transfer unit 130 Transfer of the plate 120 can be started by moving the support part 132 backward in the X-axis direction through (133).

The plate transfer device 130 can transfer the plate 120 to a designated transfer path under the control of the main control unit 140, and in this process, defects in the 3D output can be determined in real time by the inspection equipment 137. You can.

As shown in FIG. 5, a seating plate 136 in the shape of a plate of a predetermined size may be provided at the rear end of the support portion 132. As will be described later, the inspection equipment 137 is provided on the seating plate 136 and can determine whether the 3D output is defective.

Figures 7 to 9 are diagrams showing the process of determining whether the 3D output 1 mounted on the plate 120 is defective by the inspection equipment 137 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the inspection equipment 137 is provided on the seating plate 136 to determine whether the 3D output 1 is defective by photographing the 3D output 1 on the plate 120 mounted on the support portion 132. . The inspection equipment 137 is a vision inspector that determines whether the 3D output 1 is defective using a deep learning model, and compares the shape of the 3D output 1 with a previously stored normal image to determine whether the 3D output 1 is defective. ) can be determined to be defective. The inspection equipment 137 may be installed to face the plate 120 to photograph the 3D output 1 on the plate 120, and the plate 120 on which the 3D output 1 is seated is positioned on the support 132. If you are located, you can start shooting.

If the 3D output 1 is determined to be normal by the inspection equipment 137, the plate transfer device 130 will transfer the plate 120 on which the 3D output 1 is seated to the plate storage device 200. You can.

If the 3D output 1 is determined to be defective by the inspection equipment 137, the removal equipment 138 provided on the seating plate 136 can remove the 3D output 1 from the plate 120. .

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the removal equipment 138 may include a scraper 138a, a defective product disposal box 138b, and a scraper controller 138c.

The scraper 138a is provided on the seating plate 136 and scrapes the 3D output 1 on the plate 120 while moving forward or backward on the plate 120. The scraper 138a may be composed of a first member 138-1, a second member 138-2, and a third member 138-3.

The first member 138-1 may be arranged perpendicular to the plate 120 and have one end contact the upper surface of the plate 120.

The second member 138-2 may be formed to be arranged perpendicular to the other end of the first member 138-2.

The third member 138-3 may be connected to the second member 138-2 and disposed perpendicular to the plate 120, with one end spaced apart from the upper surface of the plate 120 by a predetermined distance. That is, the third member 138-3 may be disposed in parallel with the first member 138-1, with one end not in contact with the upper surface of the plate 120 and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

The first member 138-1 may be in contact with the upper surface of the plate 120, and scrapes the 3D output 1 on the plate 120 as the scraper 138a moves backward under the control of the scraper controller 138c. can do. The 3D output 1 may be removed from the plate 120 according to the scraping operation of the first member 138-1 and introduced into the defect processing bin 138b. To remove and insert the 3D output 1, one end of the third member 138-3 and the upper surface of the plate 120 may be spaced apart by a predetermined distance.

The defective product disposal box 138b is provided on the seating plate 136 to store the 3D output 1 to be removed by the scraper 138a. For example, the defective product disposal box 138b may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the front and top surfaces open. The scraper 138a can open and close the front and top surfaces of the defective product disposal box 138b while performing a forward or backward motion. That is, the first member 138-1 of the scraper 138a may serve to scrape the 3D output 1 on the plate 120 and at the same time serve as the front of the defect processing bin 138b. In addition, the second member 138-2 of the scraper 138a serves as a connection part to connect the first member 138-1 and the third member 138-3 and simultaneously disposes of defective products (138b). It can serve as a top surface. The scraper 138a can move forward or backward under the control of the scraper controller 138c. When the scraper 138a moves forward, the front and upper surfaces of the defect processing bin 138b are opened and the scraper 138a moves backward. The front and top surfaces of the defective product processing box 138b may be closed. Figure 8 shows a state in which the front and upper surfaces of the defective product processing box 138b are opened as the scraper 138a moves forward, and Figure 9 shows the front and upper surfaces of the defective product processing box 138b as the scraper 138a moves backward. Indicates a closed state.

The scraper controller 138c is coupled to the defective product processing box 138b and controls the forward or backward movement of the scraper 138a. The scraper controller 138c may have a rotation motor therein, and can control the forward or backward movement of the scraper 138a according to the operation of the rotation motor.

In this way, the removal equipment 138 removes the 3D output 1, which is determined to be defective, from the plate 120 through the scraper 138a and the scraper controller 138c, and then inserts it into the defect processing box 138b. It can be stored. The inspection equipment 137 can continue filming while the 3D output 1 is removed by the removal equipment 138, and when it is determined that the 3D output 1 has been completely removed from the plate 120, a removal completion message is sent. Can be transmitted to the main control unit 140. Accordingly, the plate transfer device 130 can transfer the plate 120 from which the 3D output 1 has been removed back to the lower side of the output device 110 under the control of the main control unit 140. The output device 110 reproduces the 3D output 1 discarded due to defects under the control of the main control unit 140 and places it on the plate 120, and the reproduced 3D output 1 and the plate 120 are It is transferred again by the plate transfer device 120. The reproduced 3D output 1 is inspected again by the inspection equipment 137, and if it is determined to be normal as a result of the inspection, it may be transferred by the plate transfer device 130 and placed into a storage box in the plate storage device 200.

Figure 10 is a diagram showing the process in which the 3D output 1 and the plate 120 are sequentially introduced into each storage box of the plate storage device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 11 is an embodiment of the present invention. It is a diagram showing a state in which the 3D output 1 and the plate 120 according to an example are inserted into a storage box, and FIG. 12 shows a closed state of the door 250 of the plate storage device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is the drawing shown. In addition, Figures 13 and 14 are diagrams showing the detailed configuration of the plate storage device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As described above, the plate storage device 200 is comprised of a plurality of storage boxes, and the 3D output 1 and the plate 120 can be placed together in one of the plurality of storage boxes. At this time, the 3D output 1 may be placed on different plates 120 each time the raw material is changed and sequentially introduced into each different storage box by the plate transfer device 130. Additionally, each storage box can be individually controlled to have a different storage environment depending on the raw materials.

In the present embodiments, the storage environment may be, for example, the storage temperature of the storage box by the thermoelectric element 220, the ultraviolet ray irradiation time by the ultraviolet ray irradiation lamp 230 in the storage box, etc.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 14 , the plate storage device 200 may include a seating portion 210, a thermoelectric element 220, and an ultraviolet irradiation lamp 230.

The seating portion 210 is a portion where the plate 120 is seated. The seating portion 210 may be formed in a plate shape of a predetermined size.

The thermoelectric element 220 is attached to the lower part of the seating portion 210 to cool or heat the plate 120. The thermoelectric element 220 may transfer heat by, for example, the Peltier effect. The thermoelectric element 220 may be connected to the main control unit 140 and may cool or heat the plate 120 under the control of the main control unit 140.

The ultraviolet irradiation lamp 230 irradiates ultraviolet rays toward the 3D printed object 1 from at least one side of each storage box. For example, the ultraviolet irradiation lamp 230 is provided on both sides of each storage box and can irradiate ultraviolet rays toward the 3D printed object 1. The ultraviolet irradiation lamp 230 may be connected to the main control unit 140 and may irradiate ultraviolet rays under the control of the main control unit 140. The ultraviolet irradiation lamp 230 can irradiate ultraviolet rays under the control of the main control unit 140 to sterilize and harden the 3D printed object 1.

At this time, the thermoelectric element 220 and the ultraviolet irradiation lamp 230 may be individually controlled differently in each storage box. That is, the temperature of the thermoelectric element 220 in each storage box is individually controlled differently depending on the raw material of the 3D output (1), and the ultraviolet irradiation lamp 230 in each storage box irradiates according to the raw material of the 3D output (1). Times can be individually controlled differently.

As an example, the storage environment of each storage box according to raw material can be individually controlled as shown in Table 2 below.

Raw materials plate label storage bin labels Storage environment PCL-1 Plate #1 Storage # 1 Storage temperature -20℃UV irradiation time 10 minutes PCL-2 Plate #2 Storage#2 Storage temperature -10℃UV irradiation time 20 minutes PCL-3 Plate #3 Storage#3 Storage temperature -5℃, UV irradiation time: 30 minutes PCL-4 Plate #4 Storage#4 Storage temperature 20℃, UV irradiation time 25 minutes … … … …

PCL-1, PCL-2, PCL-3, and PCL-4, which are raw materials mainly used in class 4 medical devices implanted in the body, have different melting points and different properties, so storage temperature is very important. In the case of 3D prints (1) produced respectively as PCL-1, PCL-2, PCL-3, and PCL-4, they need to be stored at different storage temperatures according to their melting points and characteristics, and accordingly, thermoelectric elements in each storage box (220) The temperature may be individually controlled differently depending on the raw material of the 3D output (1). In addition, each 3D print (1) produced from different raw materials has a different thickness (e.g., 0.15 mm, 1.0 mm, etc.), and ultraviolet rays are irradiated to each 3D print (1) with different thicknesses at the same irradiation time. If this is done, the characteristics of thin products may deteriorate. In other words, in the case of 3D prints (1) produced by PCL-1, PCL-2, PCL-3, and PCL-4, respectively, the thinner the thickness, the shorter the need to irradiate ultraviolet rays, and accordingly, the ultraviolet rays in each storage box need to be irradiated relatively shorter. The irradiation lamp 230 may be individually controlled to have different irradiation times depending on the raw material of the 3D output 1.

The operation of the thermoelectric element 220 and the ultraviolet irradiation lamp 230 of each storage box can be automatically controlled according to the label automatically labeled by the main control unit 140. In addition, the main control unit 140 monitors and records the operation of the thermoelectric element 220 and the ultraviolet irradiation lamp 230 in each storage box in real time while the 3D output 1 is stored in each storage box, and after storage. Feedback on the storage quality in each storage box can be received from workers or managers. If improvement feedback on the storage quality in a specific storage box is input from an operator or manager (for example, an increase or decrease in storage temperature or an increase or decrease in ultraviolet irradiation time), the main control unit 140 reflects this improvement feedback and improves the storage quality in a specific storage box. The storage environment of raw materials can be modified. For example, if the storage temperature of the 3D output (1) produced with PCL-1 is maintained at -20°C, but improvement feedback regarding a 2°C increase in storage temperature is received from the operator more than a set number of times, the main control unit 140 can reflect this improvement feedback and control the thermoelectric element 220 of the storage box so that the storage temperature of the 3D output 1 produced with PCL-1 is maintained at -18°C. In addition, each storage box may be equipped with inspection equipment (not shown) to detect whether the 3D print 1 is defective, and the main control unit 140 inspects the 3D print 1 for defects from the inspection equipment. You can receive the results. The main control unit 140 can automatically determine the optimal storage temperature or optimal ultraviolet irradiation time of the 3D printed product 1 using the inspection results for defects in the 3D printed product 1 and a set deep learning model. For example, if the 3D output 1 is produced normally but a defect occurs due to an incorrect storage environment, the main control unit 140 uses the inspection results including defect pattern, defect location, etc. and pre-learned learning data. It is possible to automatically determine the optimal storage temperature and optimal ultraviolet irradiation time to prevent defects in the 3D printed product (1). The deep learning model can become more advanced as the number of 3D prints 1 produced and stored increases, and thus the defect rate of the 3D prints 1 during the storage process can be minimized.

Additionally, referring to FIGS. 10 to 14 , fans 240 may be provided on both sides of the plate storage device 200 to circulate and purify the internal air of the plate storage device 200. For example, the fan 240 may have a HEPA filter inside, and the HEPA filter can be used to circulate and clean the internal air of the plate storage device 200.

Additionally, referring to FIG. 12 , when all of the plates 120 are inserted into each storage box of the plate storage device 200, the door 250 of the plate storage device 200 may be configured to automatically close. The door 250 may be controlled according to the control of the main control unit 140. Specifically, the door 250 opens while the plate 120 is inserted into each storage box of the plate storage device 200, and as each plate 120 is introduced into each storage box of the plate storage device 200, the door 250 opens. It may be closed.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the storage environment of each storage box is individually controlled through the 3D printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated flow chart, the method is divided into a plurality of steps, but at least some of the steps are performed in a different order, combined with other steps, omitted, divided into detailed steps, or not shown. One or more steps may be added and performed.

In step S102, raw material information is input through the main control unit 140 of the 3D printer 100. Here, the raw materials may be, for example, PCL, PDO, PLLA, etc. At this time, information about the 3D output to be produced along with the raw material information may be input through the main control unit 140. There may be plural pieces of raw material information and 3D output information, and may be input as G-code, for example.

In step S104, the main control unit 140 of the 3D printer 100 performs automatic labeling of the plate 120 and the storage box in the plate storage device 200 according to the input raw material information. As described above, when information on the type and raw material of the 3D output is input by the operator or manager, the main control unit 140 automatically labels each storage box and the plate 120 entered into each storage box according to the raw material. can do.

In step S106, the output device 110 of the 3D printer 100 produces a 3D output from raw materials. For example, the output device 110 can melt raw materials and produce 3D output through an extrusion nozzle.

In step S108, the plate transfer device 120 of the 3D printer 100 transfers the plate 120 along a predetermined transfer path when production of the 3D output mounted on the plate 120 is completed.

In steps S110 and S112, the inspection equipment 137 of the 3D printer 100 determines whether the 3D output is defective during the transfer process of the plate 120. The inspection equipment 137 is, for example, a vision inspection device that determines whether a 3D print is defective using a deep learning model. It can determine whether a 3D print is defective by comparing the shape of the 3D print with a pre-stored normal image. .

In step S114, the removal equipment 138 of the 3D printer 100 discards the 3D output if it is determined that a defect has occurred in step S112. Specifically, the removal equipment 138 removes the 3D output determined to be defective from the plate 120 through the scraper 138a and the scraper controller 138c, and then inserts it into the defect processing box 138b for storage. . Thereafter, the plate transfer device 130 may transfer the plate 120 from which the 3D output has been removed back to the lower side of the output device 110 under the control of the main control unit 140, and steps S106 to S112 are repeatedly performed. do.

In step S116, the plate transfer device 130 of the 3D printer 100 transfers the plate 120 to a storage box in the plate storage device 200 when it is determined that no defects in the 3D output have occurred in step S112. The plate storage device 200 consists of a plurality of storage boxes, and each time a 3D output is produced, the plate 120 on which the 3D output is seated may be sequentially inserted into one of the plurality of storage boxes. Thereafter, when all of the plates 120 are inserted into each storage box, the door 250 of the plate storage device 200 may be closed.

In step S118, the thermoelectric element 220 and the ultraviolet irradiation lamp 230 of the 3D printer 100 are individually controlled differently for each storage box depending on the raw material of the 3D printed product. That is, the storage temperature of each storage box by the thermoelectric element 220 may be individually controlled differently depending on the raw material, and the ultraviolet irradiation time by the ultraviolet irradiation lamp 230 may be individually controlled differently depending on the raw material.

16 is a block diagram illustrating and illustrating a computing environment including a computing device suitable for use in example embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, each component may have different functions and capabilities in addition to those described below, and may include additional components in addition to those not described below.

The illustrated computing environment 10 includes a computing device 12 . In one embodiment, the computing device 12 may be one or more components included in the 3D printer 100 or the main control unit 140 of the 3D printer 100.

Computing device 12 includes at least one processor 14, a computer-readable storage medium 16, and a communication bus 18. Processor 14 may cause computing device 12 to operate in accordance with the example embodiments noted above. For example, processor 14 may execute one or more programs stored on computer-readable storage medium 16. The one or more programs may include one or more computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the processor 14, cause computing device 12 to perform operations according to example embodiments. It can be.

Computer-readable storage medium 16 is configured to store computer-executable instructions or program code, program data, and/or other suitable form of information. The program 20 stored in the computer-readable storage medium 16 includes a set of instructions executable by the processor 14. In one embodiment, computer-readable storage medium 16 includes memory (volatile memory, such as random access memory, non-volatile memory, or an appropriate combination thereof), one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash It may be memory devices, another form of storage medium that can be accessed by computing device 12 and store desired information, or a suitable combination thereof.

Communication bus 18 interconnects various other components of computing device 12, including processor 14 and computer-readable storage medium 16.

Computing device 12 may also include one or more input/output interfaces 22 and one or more network communication interfaces 26 that provide an interface for one or more input/output devices 24. The input/output interface 22 and the network communication interface 26 are connected to the communication bus 18. Input/output device 24 may be coupled to other components of computing device 12 through input/output interface 22. Exemplary input/output devices 24 include, but are not limited to, a pointing device (such as a mouse or trackpad), a keyboard, a touch input device (such as a touchpad or touch screen), a voice or sound input device, various types of sensor devices, and/or imaging devices. It may include input devices and/or output devices such as display devices, printers, speakers, and/or network cards. The exemplary input/output device 24 may be included within the computing device 12 as a component constituting the computing device 12, or may be connected to the computing device 12 as a separate device distinct from the computing device 12. It may be possible.

Although the present invention has been described in detail above through representative embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications to the above-described embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. You will understand. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be determined not only by the claims described later but also by equivalents to the claims.

1: 3D printout
100: 3D printer
110: output device
110a: first transfer unit
110b: second transfer unit
110c: Third transfer unit
112: Height sensor
120: plate
130: Plate transfer device
131: body frame
132: support part
133: first transfer unit
134: second transfer unit
135: Third transfer unit
136: Seating plate
137: Inspection equipment
138: Removal equipment
138a: scraper
138b: Disposal of defective products
138c: scraper controller
140: main control unit
200: Plate storage device
210: Seating part
220: thermoelectric element
230: Ultraviolet irradiation lamp
240: fan
250: door

Claims (9)

An output device that produces 3D output from raw materials;
A plate provided below the output device on which the 3D output is placed;
a plate transfer device that transfers the plate along a predetermined transfer path when production of the 3D printed object mounted on the plate is completed; and
It consists of a plurality of storage boxes, and includes a plate storage device in which the 3D output and the plate are inserted together into one of the plurality of storage boxes,
The 3D output is placed on a different plate each time the raw material is changed and sequentially introduced into each different storage box by the plate transfer device,
Each storage box is individually controlled to have a different storage environment depending on the raw materials,
The plate transfer device,
body frame;
a support portion provided on an upper portion of the body frame to support a lower surface of the plate;
a seating plate provided at the rear end of the support portion and having a plate shape of a predetermined size;
Inspection equipment installed on the seating plate to determine in real time whether the 3D print is defective by photographing the 3D print on the plate seated on the support portion during the transfer process of the 3D print; and
It is installed on the seating plate and includes a removal device that removes the 3D output from the plate when the 3D output is determined to be defective by the inspection equipment,
The removal equipment is,
A scraper that scrapes the 3D output on the plate while moving forward or backward on the plate;
A defect processing box provided on the seating plate to have a space of a predetermined size to store the 3D output to be removed by the scraper; and
It includes a scraper controller that is coupled to the defective product processing box and controls forward or backward movement of the scraper,
The scraper is,
a first member disposed perpendicular to the plate and having one end in contact with the upper surface of the plate;
a second member disposed perpendicular to the other end of the first member; and
It includes a third member connected to the second member and disposed perpendicular to the plate, with one end spaced apart from the upper surface of the plate by a predetermined distance,
The defective product disposal box has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the front and top surfaces open,
The scraper opens and closes the front and top surfaces of the defective product disposal bin while performing a forward or backward motion,
When the inspection equipment determines that the 3D output has been completely removed from the plate, the plate is moved to the lower side of the output device by the plate transfer device, and the 3D output is reproduced and placed on the plate. A 3D printer comprising an individually controllable storage box in which the reproduced 3D output and the plate are introduced into one of the plurality of storage boxes by the plate transfer device.
In claim 1,
Each of the above storage boxes is,
A seating portion on which the plate is seated;
a thermoelectric element attached to the lower portion of the seating portion to cool or heat the plate; and
It includes an ultraviolet irradiation lamp that irradiates ultraviolet rays toward the 3D output from at least one side of each storage box,
The storage temperature of each storage box by the thermoelectric element is individually controlled differently depending on the raw materials, and the ultraviolet irradiation time by the ultraviolet irradiation lamp is individually controlled differently depending on the raw materials, including individually controllable storage boxes. 3D printer.
In claim 1,
A 3D printer including an individually controllable storage box, where fans are provided on both sides of the plate storage device to circulate and purify the internal air of the plate storage device.
In claim 1,
Each of the storage bins and the plates entering each storage bin are automatically labeled according to the raw materials,
A 3D printer including individually controllable storage boxes in which each plate is sequentially introduced into each storage box according to the labeling.
In claim 4,
A 3D printer comprising an individually controllable storage box configured to automatically close the door of the plate storage device when all plates are entered into each storage box according to the labeling.
In claim 1,
The plate transfer device,
a first transfer unit for transferring the support unit in the X-axis direction;
a second transfer unit provided in a direction perpendicular to the first transfer unit to transfer the body frame in the Y-axis direction; and
A 3D printer comprising an individually controllable storage box, further comprising a third transfer unit provided in a direction perpendicular to the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit to transfer the body frame in the Z-axis direction. delete delete delete

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