System and method for detecting errors during 3D printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11712854-B2
Application number	US-202117467843-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2021
Priority date	Sep 7, 2021
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) printer includes a base plate and a nozzle connectable to a source of molten material and operable to eject the molten material onto the base plate that are movable in orthogonal directions to form a 3D object on the base plate. An error detection system detects a dislocation of the 3D object on the base plate during the 3D printing operation, which can lead to stopping the 3D printing process. The error detection system includes a beam emitter and a detector that work in conjunction with a tag formed on the 3D object to determine whether the object has dislocated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional (3D) printer, comprising:
a base plate;
a nozzle connectable to a source of molten material and operable to eject the molten material onto the base plate;
a 3D movement mechanism for moving one or both of the base plate and nozzle relative to the other of the base plate and nozzle in orthogonal x-axis, y-axis and z-axis directions;
an error detection system configured and operable to generate a signal in response to detecting a dislocation of the 3D object on the base plate, wherein said error detection system includes:
an emitter for emitting a beam; and
a detector for detecting the beam,
wherein the emitter and detector are arranged relative to the base plate so that the emitter and detector are aligned with each other so that the beam emitted by the emitter passes across the base plate and is detectable by the detector; and
a printer controller operable to control the nozzle and the 3D movement mechanism according to a 3D model received by the printer controller to perform a 3D printing operation to form a 3D object on the base plate, said printer controller receiving said signal from said error detection system and operable to stop the 3D printing operation in response thereto, wherein said printer controller is configured to add a 3D model of a tag to the 3D model received by the printer controller, so that the 3D printing operation forms the tag offset from and connected to the 3D object during the 3D printing operation, wherein the emitter and detector of the error detection system are arranged so that only the tag is interposed between the emitter and detector to intersect the beam; and
wherein said emitter is configured to emit an optical beam having a beam diameter; and said detector is configured to detect the optical beam, wherein said tag has a dimension in the plane of the optical beam that is substantially equal to said beam diameter.

2. The 3D printer of claim 1 , wherein the emitter and the detector are mounted to the base plate.

3. The 3D printer of claim 1 , wherein the error detection system further includes a positioning system for positioning the emitter and detector along an axis in the plane of the base plate.

4. The 3D printer of claim 3 , wherein the positioning system includes:
a carriage supporting the emitter and detector in fixed relationship relative to each other along said axis; and
a motor for translating the carriage relative to the base plate along said axis.

5. The 3D printer of claim 3 , wherein the positioning system includes:
a lead screw disposed on one side of the base plate;
a motor for rotationally driving the lead screw; and
a driven nut threaded onto the lead screw, wherein one of the emitter and the detector is mounted to the driven nut.

6. The 3D printer of claim 5 , wherein the positioning system includes:
a second lead screw disposed on a side of the base plate opposite said one side;
a motor for rotationally driving the second lead screw; and
a second driven nut threaded onto the second lead screw, wherein the other of the emitter and detector is mounted to the second driven nut.

7. The 3D printer of claim 1 , wherein said detector is a charge-coupled device (CCD).

8. The 3D printer of claim 1 , wherein the tag is rectangular with sides having a length substantially equal to the beam diameter.

9. The 3D printer of claim 1 , wherein the 3D model of the tag includes a bridge element connecting the tag to the 3D object during the 3D printing operation, said bridge element configured so that the bridge element is not interposed between the emitter and detector, wherein the tag is opaque to the beam to prevent transmission of the beam to the detector.

10. The 3D printer of claim 9 , wherein;
the 3D model of the tag and the bridge offsets the tag from the 3D object by 20 mm along an axis in the plane of the base plate; and
the emitter and detector are aligned with each other along a line that intersects said axis so that the tag is interposed therebetween.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Mani Karthik
• Sukumar Gautham
• Kalaiselvan Prasanth
• Nadar Nilesh Jayapandian

Classifications

• B29C64/393 Primary

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/118

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title

• B29C64/209

  Heads; Nozzles · CPC title

• B29C64/236

  for motion in a direction within the plane of a layer · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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