Alignment method for 3D printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10336054-B2
Application number	US-201715406645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2017
Priority date	Sep 21, 2016
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

An alignment method adopted by a 3D printer having a 3D nozzle for jetting material and a 2D pen-module for jetting colored ink is disclosed. The 3D printer first controls the 3D nozzle to print an alignment template on a printing platform, wherein the alignment template comprises multiple alignment blocks respectively and separately printed along an axis, and each alignment block respectively deviates from each center-line according to an accumulated offset. Next, the 3D printer controls the 2D pen-module to print an ink matrix on the alignment template, wherein the ink matrix comprises multiple ink blocks respectively and separately printed along the same axis, and each ink block is exactly corresponding to each center-line respectively. The 3D printer uses covering status of each alignment block and each ink block to determine a deviation between the 3D nozzle and the 2D pen-module, so as to perform an alignment action thereupon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An alignment method for 3D printer, adopted by a 3D printer comprising a 3D nozzle and a 2D pen-module, the alignment method comprising:
a) controlling the 3D nozzle to jet material for printing an alignment template on a printing platform, wherein the alignment template comprises multiple alignment blocks formed by the material which are respectively and separately printed along at least one axis, and each of the alignment blocks respectively deviates from a center-line of each printed location according to an accumulated offset, and distances between each two neighbor center-lines are the same;
b) controlling the 2D pen-module to jet ink for printing an ink matrix on the alignment template, wherein the ink matrix comprises multiple ink blocks formed by the ink which are respectively and separately printed along same axis, and each of the ink blocks is exactly corresponding to the center-line of each printed location, and size and shape of each of the ink blocks are equal to size and shape of the alignment blocks;
c) determining a deviation between the 3D nozzle and the 2D pen-module according to covering status of each ink block and each corresponding alignment block at each printed location; and
d) performing a compensating alignment action to the 3D nozzle or the 2D pen-module according to the determined deviation so as to keep the 3D nozzle and the 2D pen-module to locate at a same printing datum.

2. The alignment method in claim 1 , wherein the step c is to measure the deviation according to the offset adopted by one of the alignment bocks that is completely covered by the corresponding one of the ink blocks on the same printed location.

3. The alignment method in claim 2 , wherein the shape of each of the alignment blocks and each of the ink blocks are square.

4. The alignment method in claim 2 , wherein the multiple alignment blocks comprise a locating block that is exactly corresponding to the center-line of a locating position of the alignment template, and rest of the alignment blocks are respectively and separately printed from the locating block and along the axis, and a value of the accumulated offset adopted by each of the alignment blocks is directly proportional to each distance between each alignment block and the locating block.

5. The alignment method in claim 4 , wherein the offset is accumulated by 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm or 0.2 mm, and a maximum of the accumulated offset is less than or equal to 1 mm.

6. The alignment method in claim 4 , wherein distances between each two neighbor alignment blocks are the same, distances between each two neighbor ink blocks are the same, and the distances between each of the ink blocks are less than the distances between each of the alignment blocks.

7. The alignment method in claim 4 , wherein the alignment template is a cross-shape template, and the multiple alignment blocks comprise multiple X axis alignment blocks which are respectively and separately printed from the locating block and along the X axis, and multiple Y axis alignment blocks which are respectively and separately printed from the locating block and along the Y axis, wherein each of the X axis alignment blocks respectively deviates from the X axis center-line of each printed location according to the accumulated offset, and each of the Y axis alignment blocks respectively deviates from the Y axis center-line of each printed location according to the accumulated offset.

8. The alignment method in claim 7 , wherein the multiple alignment blocks are concave, and the step a further comprises following steps of:
a11) controlling the 3D nozzle to print a base of the alignment template on the printing platform;
a12) reserving the locating block on the locating position at a center of the base;
a13) reserving the multiple X axis alignment blocks separately from the locating block and along the X axis, wherein distances between each two neighbor X axis alignment blocks are the same; and
a14) reserving the multiple Y axis alignment blocks separately from the locating block and along the Y axis, wherein distances between each two neighbor Y axis alignment blocks are the same.

9. The alignment method in claim 7 , wherein the multiple alignment blocks are protruding bumps, and the step a further comprises following steps of:
a11) controlling the 3D nozzle to print a base of the alignment template on the printing platform;
a12) printing the locating block on the locating position at a center of the base;
a13) printing the multiple X axis alignment blocks separately from the locating block and along the X axis, wherein distances between each two neighbor X axis alignment blocks are the same; and
a14) printing the multiple Y axis alignment blocks separately from the locating block and along the Y axis, wherein distances between each two neighbor Y axis alignment blocks are the same.

10. The alignment method in claim 2 , wherein the 2D pen-module comprises at least four pens for at least four different colors of inks comprising Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, and a step a0 is further comprised before the step a: performing an alignment action to the at least four pens of the 2D pen-module for keeping the at least four pens to locate at same printing datum.

11. An alignment method for 3D printer, adopted by a 3D printer comprising a 3D nozzle and a 2D pen-module, the alignment method comprising:
a) controlling the 3D nozzle to jet material for printing an alignment template on a printing platform, wherein the alignment template comprises multiple alignment blocks formed by the material which are respectively and separately printed along at least one axis, and each of the alignment blocks is exactly corresponding to a center-line of each printed location, and distances between each two neighbor center-lines are the same;
b) controlling the 2D pen-module to jet ink for printing an ink matrix on the alignment template, wherein the ink matrix comprises multiple ink blocks formed by the ink which are respectively and separately printed along same axis, and each of the ink blocks respectively deviates from the center-line of each printed location according to an accumulated offset, and size and shape of each of the ink blocks are equal to size and shape of the alignment blocks;
c) determining a deviation between the 3D nozzle and the 2D pen-module according to covering status of each ink block and each corresponding alignment block at each printed location; and
d) performing a compensating alignment action to the 3D nozzle or the 2D pen-module according to the determined deviation so as to keep the 3D nozzle and the 2D pen-module to locate at a same printing datum.

12. The alignment method in claim 11 , wherein the step c is to measure the deviation according to the offset adopted by one of the ink bocks which completely covers the corresponding one of the alignment blocks on same printed location.

13. The alignment method in claim 12 , wherein the multiple ink blocks comprises a locating block that is exactly corresponding to the center-line of a locating position of the alignment template, and rest of the ink blocks are respectively and separately printed from the locating block and along the axis, and a value of the accumulated offset adopted by each of the ink blocks is directly proportional to each distance between each ink block and the locating block.

14. The alignment method in claim 13 , wherein the alignment template is a cross-shape template, and the multiple ink blocks comprise multiple X axis ink blocks which are respectively and separately printed from the locating block and along a X axis, and multiple

Assignees

• Xyzprinting Inc
• Kinpo Elect Inc

Inventors

• Ho Ming-En
• Hsieh Yi-Chu
• Huang Chun-Hsiang
• Juang Jia-Yi
• Lee Yang-Teh

Classifications

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y50/02 Primary

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B41J3/4073 Primary

  Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects (B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112) · CPC title

• B29C64/112 Primary

  using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads · CPC title