WO2021002765A1

WO2021002765A1 - 3d printer head

Info

Publication number: WO2021002765A1
Application number: PCT/PL2020/000047
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wiktor KRUPlŃSKI
Original assignee: Vshaper Sp Z O.O.
Priority date: 2019-07-01
Filing date: 2020-05-25
Publication date: 2021-01-07
Also published as: PL430454A1

Abstract

Printhead for 3D printers, designed especially for additive manufacturing polymer objects with improved mechanical strength, equipped with a laying head with: nozzle, heating element and heat sink. Consists of a coating block equipped with a heating element, with the channel (4) for feeding the polymer matrix and the channel (5) for reinforcing fiber connected to each other, with the channel in the common area (7), the channel in the common part it ends with a calibration hole (8) with a smaller diameter than the diameter of common part. Insertion wire for the laying head is located below the calibration hole (8).

Description

3D printer head

The subject of invention includes printhead for 3D printers, dedicated especially for additive manufacturing with use of thermoplastic polymers, objects with improved mechanical properties.

There are known and commonly used 3D printers for additive manufacturing objects from thermoplastic polymers like PP, PA, PLA, ABS and others, where the polymer in form of rod is transported thru the drive system to moving printhead, where polymer is plasticized, and next , thru the nozzle with proper diameter is deposited on the printer table - in case of first layer or on object - forming another layer of it.

Drawback of solution like that is repeatedly insufficient strength of printed object or part of it, for existing needs , which is similar to strength of raw polymer material print is made from.

There are also known solutions that use prefabricated composite materials for 3D printing - carbon or aramid fibers pre-coated with polymer. These fibers are laid through a special head, to increase the strength of the printed object, builded from the polymer material plastified in the second head. This kind of solutions have many limitations. The biggest limitation is the very small amount of fiber composition and polymer matrix available and the high price of such prefabricated fibers. Most of available solutions use only one type of matrix polymer.

The aim of the invention is to develop such a head construction that would allow the combination of any chosen material, both reinforcing fiber and polymer matrix material, in a manner most suited to the user's expectations during the printing process,

The 3 D printer head, equipped with a laying head with a nozzle, heating element and heat sink, according to the invention, consists of a coating block equipped with a heating element with a polymer matrix feed channel and a reinforcing fiber feed channel connected with each other, wherein the channel, in the common part, ends with a calibration hole with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the common part of the channel, and below the calibration hole there is an introduction lead to the laying head. Preferably, between the calibration opening of the coating block and the introduction conduit are located: a cooling element, extraction rollers and a driven cutting knife, preferably, the extraction rolls and cutting knife are protected by a cover. Additionally and preferably, the cooling element is a blowing nozzle fed with compressed air, and the cutting knife is pneumatically driven. Preferably, the coating block is attached to the support plate, and below the block is the laying head, also attached to the support plate. In an implementation variation, it is preferred that the laying head is not attached to the support, is a separate element and is connected to the coating block by a flexible insertion tube. Also preferably, the coating block is divided, preferably in a plane parallel to the support plate and passing through the channel, in a section common to the reinforcing fiber and matrix. Furthermore, it is preferred that the reinforcing fiber feed channel is coaxial with the common channel and the polymer matrix feed channel is obliquely relative to the reinforcing fiber feed channel. Also preferably, the coating block heating element is a resistance heating element.

Designed like this 3D printer head allows printing of objects with increased mechanical strength, it also allows, through appropriate control of the engine supplying the head with reinforcing fiber, the printing of only some elements of the object - where necessary, with fiber reinforced thermoplastic material, which further reduces the cost print, while maintaining the required strength parameters of the object.

The subject of the invention is illustrated in the examples of the drawing, in which fig. 1 shows a 3 D head with an integrated laying head, fig. 2 - the same head with a laying head constituting a separate element, with the cover of the extraction rollers and the cutting knife shown in fig. 3 - cross section of coating block.

Example 1. The 3 D printer head consists of a coating block 3 attached to a support plate 1, equipped with a resistance heating element 2, with connected one to each other a polymer matrix feed channel 4 and a reinforcing fiber feed channel 5, fiber is feded by a stepper motor 6, the channel in a vertical the common part 7 ends with a calibration hole 8, below which is located a cooling element 9, extraction rollers 10 and a pneumatically driven cutting knife 11 and a insertion tube 12 of previously connected matrix and reinforcing fiber to the laying head consisting of nozzle 13, heating element 14 and radiator 15. Block 3 is splitted in a plane parallel to the support plate 1, passing through channel 7. The extraction rollers 10 and cutting knife 11 are covered by a cover 16. Channel 5 of the reinforcement fiber inlet is coaxial with the vertical channel 7. Laying head with nozzle 13, heating element 14 and the heat sink 15 is connected to the support plate 1.

Example 2. The head has a construction as in example 1, however, the laying head with the nozzle 13, the heating element 14 and the heat sink 15 is not connected to the support plate 1, and the insertion tube 12 'is in the form of a flexible tube.

Claims

Patent claims

1. 3D printers head, equipped with laying head with nozzle, heating element and heat sink, characterized in that it consists coating block (3), with channel for feeding the polymer matrix(4) and reinforcing fiber feed channel equipped with a heating element (2) connected together, wherein the channel in the common part(7) ends with calibration hole (8) with a diameter smaller than common part diameter, and below is the introduction lead to the laying head (12, 12').

2. 3D printhead in accordance with claim 1, characterized In that: the cooling element (9), extraction rollers (10) and driven cutting knife are located between calibration hole (8) of block (3) and introduction lead (12, 12').

3. 3D printhead in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that: the extraction rollers (10) and cutting knife (11) are covered by a cover (16).

4. 3D printhead in accordance with claim lor 2 characterized in that: the cooling element (9) is a blowing nozzle powered by compressed air.

5. 3D printhead in accordance with claim lor 2 characterized in that: the cutting knife (11) Is pneumaticaly driven.

6. 3D printhead in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that: the coating block (3) is attached to a support plate (1) and laying head is located below block (3) and also attached to a support plate (1).

7, 3D printhead in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that: the laying head is not attached to a support plate (1), is a separate element and is connected to the coating block with flexible introductory hose (12').

8. 3D printhead in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that: the block (3) is splitted.

9. 3D printhead in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that: block (3) is splitted in a plane parallel to the support plate (1) and passing through the channel (7) in the common section for fiber reinforcements and matrix.

10. 3D printhead in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that: the reinforcing fiber feed channel is coaxial in common section witch channel (7) and polimer matrix feeding channel (5) is located at an angle to the channel (7).

11. 3D printhead in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that: the heating element (2) of block (3) is resistive heating element