Three-dimensional printing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9827718-B2
Application number	US-201514884777-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2015
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A 3D printing device is provided. The 3D printing device is adapted to print a 3D object including a plurality of layer objects. The 3D printing device includes a weight sensor, which is configured to measure an actual weight value of the layer objects formed on a carrying surface or configured to measure an actual weight value of a feed tray. A controller of the 3D printing device estimates an ideal weight value corresponding to a first layer object according to a printing sequence of the first layer object in the layer objects. The controller receives the actual weight value corresponding to the first layer object from the weight sensor, and compares the ideal weight value with the actual weight value to determine whether printing abnormity is occurred. According to the disclosure, the printing quality of the 3D printing device is improved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional (3D) printing device, adapted to print a 3D object, the 3D printing device, comprising:
a platform, comprising a carrying surface;
at least one feed tray, disposed above the platform, and filled with at least one printing material;

at least one nozzle, disposed above the platform, and configured to spray the at least one printing material on the carrying surface, such that a plurality of layer objects of the 3D object is forming on the carrying surface layer-by-layer;
a weight sensor, disposed on the platform, and configured to measure an actual weight value of the layer objects formed on the carrying surface; and
a controller, coupled to the at least one nozzle and the weight sensor, and estimating an ideal weight value corresponding to a first layer object according to a printing sequence of the first layer object in the layer objects,
wherein the controller receives the actual weight value corresponding to the first layer object from the weight sensor, and compares the ideal weight value with the actual weight value to determine whether printing abnormity is occurred.

2. The 3D printing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one printing material comprises a first material and a second material, the controller estimates the ideal weight value corresponding to the first layer object according to a material property of the first material and a material property of the second material.

3. The 3D printing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the controller calculates a difference between the ideal weight value and the actual weight value to obtain a weight error corresponding to the first layer object, and determines whether the weight error is greater than an error threshold, so as to determine whether the printing abnormity is occurred.

4. The 3D printing device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein when the weight error is greater than the error threshold, the controller determines that the printing abnormity is occurred and enables an alert; and when the weight error is not greater than the error threshold, the controller determines that the printing abnormity is not occurred and does not enable the alert.

5. The 3D printing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the controller multiplies the number of printing pixel points of the layer object by at least one unit weight value to obtain a single layer weight value of the layer object, and the controller adds the single layer weight value of the first layer object with a previous accumulative weight to estimate the ideal weight value corresponding to the first layer object, wherein the previous accumulative weight is a sum of the single weight values of all of the layer objects with the printing sequences earlier than the printing sequence of the first layer object.

6. The 3D printing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein before any of the layer objects is formed on the carrying surface, the controller controls the weight sensor to perform zero calibration.

7. The 3D printing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein after the controller determines that the printing abnormity is occurred, the controller stops a printing procedure of the 3D object and enables a nozzle cleaning procedure of the at least one nozzle.

8. A 3D printing device, adapted to print a 3D object, the 3D printing device comprising:
a platform, comprising a carrying surface;
at least one feed tray, disposed above the platform, and filled with at least one printing material;
at least one nozzle, disposed above the platform, and configured to spray the at least one printing material on the carrying surface, such that a plurality of layer objects of the 3D object is formed on the carrying surface layer-by-layer;
a weight sensor, disposed on the feed tray, and configured to measure an actual weight value of the feed tray; and
a controller, coupled to the at least one nozzle and the weight sensor, and estimating an ideal weight value of the feed tray according to a printing sequence of a first layer object in the layer objects, wherein the ideal weight value corresponds to the first layer object,
wherein when the first layer object is formed on the carrying surface, the controller receives the actual weight value of the feed tray corresponding to the first layer object from the weight sensor, and compares the ideal weight value with the actual weight value to determine whether printing abnormity is occurred.

9. The 3D printing device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the controller calculates a difference between the ideal weight value and the actual weight value to obtain a weight error corresponding to the first layer object, and determines whether the weight error is greater than an error threshold, so as to determine whether the printing abnormity is occurred.

10. The 3D printing device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein when the weight error is greater than the error threshold, the controller determines that the printing abnormity is occurred and enables an alert; and when the weight error is not greater than the error threshold, the controller determines that the printing abnormity is not occurred and does not enable the alert.

11. The 3D printing device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the controller multiplies the number of printing pixel points of the layer object by at least one unit weight value to obtain a single layer weight value of the layer object, and the controller subtracts a feed tray initial weight by the single layer weight value of the first layer object and a previous accumulative weight to estimate the ideal weight value relative to the feed tray, wherein the previous accumulative weight is a sum of the single weight values of all of the layer objects with the printing sequences earlier than the printing sequence of the first layer object.

12. The 3D printing device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein before any of the layer objects is formed on the carrying surface, the controller receives the feed tray initial weight measured by the weight sensor.

13. The 3D printing device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the controller sums the single layer weight values of all of the layer objects to obtain a necessary weight, and compares the necessary weight with the feed tray initial weight, wherein when the feed tray initial weight is less than the necessary weight, the controller stops printing the 3D object.

14. The 3D printing device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein after the controller determines that the printing abnormity is occurred, the controller stops a printing procedure of the 3D object and enables a nozzle cleaning procedure.

Assignees

• Xyzprinting Inc
• Kinpo Elect Inc
• Cal-Comp Electronics & Communications Company Ltd
• Cal-Comp Electronics & Communications Company Limted

Inventors

• Sun Shou-Chih

Classifications

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y99/00

  Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C67/0088 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic