TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention is related to a 3D printing system that can technologically print 3D objects rapidly, by using solid state particles and/or liquid state materials and/or other forms of materials. The invented system technology is based on uniquely placed 3D printing equipment’s, like material laydown system, material preparation system, material pressing and fusing system.

With respect to the conventional additive manufacturing technologies, the invented system can manufacture complex shaped 3D objects from different type of raw materials at higher speeds, by decreasing the lost process time and improving the system efficiency.

KNOWN STATE OF THE ART (PRIOR ART)

Nowadays, we faced 3D printing technologies in various forms and types. These types can be grouped as Fused Filament Fabrication(FDM), Powder Bed Fusion(SLS, SLM, DMLS, EBM, MJF), Fotopolimerization, (SLA, DLP, CDLP, VAT), Material Jetting (DOD, MJ, NPJ), Binder Jetting(BJ), Sheet Lamination (LOM, SL), Direct Energy Deposition(DED, LENS, EBAM) devices.

In contrast with the conventional manufacturing techniques, which is based on a classical forming technologies like; removal of material from a block, high energy deformation of a raw material, forming melted material inside of a dee, in principle all additive manufacturing techniques are based on forming 3D objects by adding material layer by layer. In this manufacturing technology raw materials can be in the form of liquid, solid or small particle solid materials. The basic advantage of additive manufacturing methods compared with the conventional methods is high precision and fully controlled manufacturing of objects by adding already decomposed to solid particle, melted or already liquid materials layer by layer. Basically manufacturing objects with additive technology requires less energy, produces less material waste and it can produce complex prototype objects with a single manufacturing operation.

Although with all the advantages of additive technology, the production costs of mass manufacturing of this method isn’t reasonable for global applications. Hence the additive technologies can’t be replaced with the conventional methods in mass manufacturing applications.

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) method is the most common way of 3D printing especially among hobbyists. In this method in the form of plastic wire formed raw material is directed though the heated injection head and the diameter of the wire is reduced around 0,1 mm, then the material is piled up layer by layer, generally on a heated surface. This technology can be found in 3D printing industry in different forms and prices. The most common ones can be listed as Ultimaker, Zortrax etc. and they are already available in the market. FDM method is patented at 1980s and it is used in the following years frequently.

Powder bed fusion, 3D manufacturing method can be grouped in five basic classes. These are selective laser sintering (SLS), selective laser melting (SLM), direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), electron beam melting (EBM) and multi jet fusion (MJF). This method is based on academic studies conducted in 1980’s and it can produce precise objects with high quality surfaces. In principle this methods is based on piling up solid particle materials on a powder bed layer by layer and bonding these particles selectively with energy source. The differences between these methods are the energy source, bonding material, type of raw material and geometrical and surface tolerance of finished object.

Photo polymerization additive manufacturing methods can be investigated in four groups. These are stereo lithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), continuous liquid interphase printing (CLIP), and daylight polymer printing (DPP). Photo polymerization method uses liquid polymer resin materials which can be hardened with UV light. In this method a plate is lifted up inside of a resin tank with 3D object on it and a UV light source is directed though the plate. Generally the UV source is placed under the tank and it scans the layers of the 3D object to build up the object. The type of the light source can vary depending on the manufacturing method; the light sources can be laser, projection, led or screening. SLA printing method is well-known method among the 3D printing industry and it is easy to find commercial machines which are using SLA printing method. These are on sale with AnyCubic, Creality etc. brands.

Digital light processing (DLP) method is using light and harden able liquid material to manufacture objects. However this system is uses projected light source instead of a single laser, so the layers are projected to the surface instantly.

Photo polymerization is used in different industries; especially it has jewelry, medical and dental applications since it has high quality surface and detailed manufacturing capability.

Material Jetting method manufacture objects by using similar principle with 2D printers, in this method raw material and bonding material sprayed and the layers are fused with UV light, thus the objects are formed. This method has various types of implementation forms. A similar method is named drop on demand (DOD) uses same method but it uses two spying nozzle groups. One of these groups sprays material while the other one is spraying solvable support material.

Patented PolyJet 3D printing technology uses gel support material and it can directly manufacture ready to use, complex, objects. Similarly, Nano particle printing technology (Pat. By Xjet) uses ultra-thin support and raw material.

Binder jetting also uses similar way of manufacturing method with the 2D printing. In this method glue and small particle raw material bonded each other. The main advantage of this method is the low energy requirements since it isn’t using and laser or heating system. However mechanical strength of the objects is also weak since the system isn’t bonding particles with high energy.

Sheet metal lamination method uses thin plate materials and the layers of the object are formed with these plates. This method is also applied to commercial applications.

In direct energy decomposition (DED, LENS and EBAM) energy is directly applied through the materials and the high energized materials particulates and bonded to each other, in order to form the 3D object. The method is uses small particles and wire form of solid materials and these printing machines generally integrated into the CNC machines so 3D printed objects is generally finished with machining methods inside the same machine. Aim of the Invention

The invented technology decreases the lost process time of the conventional 3D printing systems and improves the system efficieny, which can rapidly manufacture complex shaped objects by using solid and/or liquid state materials.

The invention in question is a unique structure that can be applied to 3D printing devices. This unique structure reorganizes the 3D printing equipment’s, like; material laydown system, material preparation system, material pressing and fusing system. The reorganizaion of the printing equipments, make it possible to improve efficieny of the the printing process dramatically and improves the 3D object printing process time. The level of efficieny improvement makes the 3D printing technology possible to use in mass manufacturing applications and capable to compete with conventional manufacturing technologies.

Description of the drawings

The structural and characteristic features of the invention and all its advantages shall be understood better by means of the figures, and by the detailed explanations written and the references made to say figures. So the evaluation must also be made by taking into consideration these figures and detailed descriptions.

The two different applications of the invented structure can be investigated in Figure 1 and Figure 2. In Figure 1 a round shape structured system is used as manufacturing chamber and another application type of the invented technology with slot type structured manufacturing chamber is shown in Figure 2.

Description of the references in the drawings:

1.1) Primer material laying equipment.

1.2) Seconder material laying equipment

1.3) Material leveling and smoothing equipment.

1.4) Bonding and combining equipment. 1.5) Material bedding chamber with relative, periodic motion.

1.6) 3D printed section of the object.

2.1) Primer material laying equipment.

2.2) Seconder material laying equipment

2.3) Material leveling and smoothing equipment.

2.4) Bonding and combining equipment.

2.5) Material bedding chamber with relative, periodic motion.

2.6) 3D printed section of the object.

2.7) Outer material bedding chamber.

3.1) Seal Guard.

Detailed description of the invention

In manufacturing technique, continuous systems (non-stationary systems) are used in many applications. These high efficient manufacturing processes are used in mass manufacturing due to their low cost, high speed production capability and high efficiency. Current 3D printing methods comprises stationary motions therefore these methods are low efficient and they can’t be used for mass manufacturing processes. The system which is subjected to the invention is focused on the removal of these stationary motions in the process of current 3D printing systems and turns the 3D printing process absolute continuity. Therefore the invented technology, builds the printing equipment arrangements and their interaction between them, in a continuous structure. This structure can be any form of a shape that can perform continuous motion. An example for the structure can be a circular shape which can be performing continuous rotational motion as shown in Figure 1. An another example can be a slot type shape which can be performing continuous rotational motion around a conveyor type system as can be seem on Figure 2.

This invention may contain different technological equipment and it can be investigated in some separated sections. These are sections can be listed as; material laying equipment (1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2), material leveling and smoothing equipment (1.3, 2.3), bonding and combining equipment (1.4, 2.4), material bedding chamber with relative, periodic motion (1.5, 2.5), outer material bedding chamber(2.7) and seal guard(3.1) which can seals and protects the entire system against external conditions.

The system which is subjected to the invention (Example: Fig.l, Fig. 2) can be briefly explained as a system which may have 3D printing equipment (1.1, 2.1, 1.2, 2.2, 1.3, 2.3, 1.4,

2.4) performing relative, periodic motion with respect to the material bedding chamber (1.5 and

2.5).

Material laying equipment (1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2) is the material feeding system, which at least one exists inside the system and may contains the raw material and bonding material. It feeds the raw and bonding material onto the material bedding chamber (1.5, 2.5) whenever it is needed.

Material leveling and smoothing equipment (1.3, 2.3), which at least one exists inside the system is levels and smoothens the material surface which is fed by the material laying equipment) 1 . 1 , 1 .2, 2.1, 2.2) onto the material bedding chamber (1.5, 2.5) reorganizes the physical and chemical properties of the raw material.

The printing system may consist at least one bonding and combining equipment (1.4, 2.4) to bond the material layer. Reorganized material which is reorganized by material leveling and smoothing equipment (1.3, 2.3) is bonded by using bonding and combining equipment (1.4, 2.4) with the previous layer of material by using the form of energy (light, heat, radiation etc.) and/or other forms of bonding techniques(chemical, physical).

Material bedding chamber (1.5, 2.5), which at least one exists inside the invented system keeps the raw material sealed and secured from the outside conditions and prevents any leakage from the inside of the chamber to the atmosphere. Material bedding chamber (1.5, 2.5) performs relative continuous circular periodic motion with respect to the manufacturing equipment (1.1, 2.1, 1.2, 2.2, 1.3, 2.3, 1.4, 2.4 etc.). This relative continuous circular periodic motion between these systems makes it possible to manufacture 3D objects inside of the material bedding chamber (1.5, 2.5).

Whenever a protection is needed from the outside of the chamber and sealing is required from the atmosphere, the seal guard (3.1) provides required protection. Also the seal guard (3.1) enables to control over the inner system atmosphere and provides required manufacturing conditions for the printed object and system equipment (1.1, 2.1, 1.2, 2.2, 1.3, 2.3, 1.4, 2.4 etc.) The described system can be functioned as a complete structure and/or some parts of the system can be reconfigured as separated functional system. Depending on the set up, one or more functional responsibilities of the system parts can be performed by other functional part or parts of the system.