Method and device for applying at least one material, extruder, 3D print head, 3D printer, machine tool and control device

Abstract

A control device, method and device for applying at least one material to a substrate or a workpiece, an extruder, a 3D print head, a 3D printer and a machine tool, wherein the device includes a main body with an outlet for the materials, where the materials are fed through at least two access channels to the outlet and mixed and/or blended at this location, where a rotational movement of the main body with respect to the substrate or the workpiece causes the materials to blend in a manner analogous to a double helix or a plait such that mixing/blending of the materials is advantageously improved, and where if applied to a 3D printing process, then either the workpiece rotates about an axis of rotation that extends through the outlet of the main body, or the main body and consequently the outlet itself rotates.

Claims

1. A device for depositing at least one material onto a substrate or a workpiece via a fused deposition modeling method, the device comprising: a main body including at least a first access channel, a second access channel and an external outlet, the first access channel receiving a first material and the second access channel receiving a second material, the first and second access channels extending at one part parallel to and spaced apart from a central axis of the main body and extending at another part at an angle to the central axis of the main body to end in the outlet of the main body; a feed system for the first material to supply the first access channel; and a further feed system for the second material to supply the second access channel; wherein an inside face of at least one of (i) the outlet, (ii) the workpiece and (iii) the substrate is rotatable about an axis of rotation which extends through the outlet; wherein a combination of the first material and the second material is provided upon the at least first material and second material being discharged through the outlet; wherein the first and second access channels converge and merge together and form the external outlet of the device; wherein the main body has a sub-body which is rotatable with respect to the main body; and wherein the first and second access channels extend through the sub-body.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a motor for rotating the main body or the sub-body.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of (i) the main body and (ii) the sub-body include at least one heating element.

4. An extruder having the device for depositing the at least one material onto the substrate or the workpiece as claimed in claim 1.

5. A 3D print head having the device as claimed in claim 1.

6. A 3D printer having the device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the device and the workpiece are rotatable about the axis of rotation.

7. A machine tool or production machine having the device for depositing the at least one material onto the substrate or the workpiece as claimed in claim 1.

8. A fused deposition modeling method for depositing at least one material onto a substrate or a workpiece, comprising: supplying at least a first material to an external outlet of a main body through a first access channel via a feed system; supplying a second material to the outlet of the main body through a second access channel via a further feed system, the first and second access channels extending at one part parallel to and spaced apart from a central axis of the main body and extending at another part at an angle to the main body to end in the outlet of the main body; wherein an inside face of at least one of (i) the outlet, (ii) the workpiece and (iii) the substrate is rotatable about an axis of rotation which extends through the outlet; and wherein a combination of the first material and the second material is provided upon the at least first material and second material being discharged through the outlet; wherein the first and second access channels converge and merge together to form the outlet of the main body; wherein the main body has a sub-body which is rotatable with respect to the main body; and wherein the first and second access channels extend through the sub-body.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the rotating main body leads to at least one of (i) mixing and (ii) blending of the first and second materials.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first material is conducted through the first access channel via a first advancing element; and wherein the second material is conducted through a second access channel via a second advancing element.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first material is conducted through the first access channel via a first advancing element; and wherein the second material is conducted through a second access channel via a second advancing element.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a first material of a first primary color is conducted to the outlet via the first access channel; wherein a second material of a second primary color is conducted to the outlet via the second access channel; and wherein a third material of a third primary color is conducted to the outlet via a third access channel.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein a first material of a first primary color is conducted to the outlet via the first access channel; wherein a second material of a second primary color is conducted to the outlet via the second access channel; and wherein a third material of a third primary color is conducted to the outlet via a third access channel.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein a first material of a first primary color is conducted to the outlet via the first access channel; wherein a second material of a second primary color is conducted to the outlet via the second access channel; and wherein a third material of a third primary color is conducted to the outlet via a third access channel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described and explained in more detail below with reference to figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic layout of a main body in accordance with the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a main body with a sub-body in accordance with the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a further view of the main body or sub-body; in accordance with the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of the method for producing a workpiece in accordance with the invention; and

(6) FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the method in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(7) FIG. 1 shows the schematic layout of a main body 1. The main body 1 is advantageously a part of a 3D print head, where the main body 1 consists of a piece of metal, where the main body 1 has a first access channel 2A and a second access channel 2B, and where the access channels 2A, 2B are filled from above with a first material 3 and a second material 5, respectively. The materials 3, 5 are discharged from an outlet 7 of the main body 1. The main body 1 is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation d. The axis of rotation d extends through the outlet 7, with the outlet 7 being arranged on the underside of the main body 1. Both the first access channel 2A and the second access channel 2B terminate directly at the outlet 7 of the main body. The outlet 7 of the main body 1 is a downward-directed opening in the main body 1, where the access channels 2A, 2B ends in the outlet 7. In the method described here, the main body 1 rotates about the axis of rotation d at a speed of rotation W. During the production of the workpiece WS, the main body 1 additionally executes a translational movement in the movement direction V. The translational movement is performed with respect to the workpiece WS and/or to the base area. The translational movement is indicated by an arrow below the main body 1.

(8) FIG. 2 shows a main body 1 with a sub-body 1A. In this configuration, the sub-body 1A is rotatably connected to the main body 1, where the sub-body 1A is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation d. The sub-body 1A is set into a rotational movement with the aid of a motor 15, where the rotation of the sub-body 1A is performed with respect to the main body 1 and/or with respect to the workpiece or to the substrate. The main body 1 has a first access channel 2A and a second access channel 2B, with the first access channel 2A leading into a first feed system 25A and the second access channel 2B leading into a second feed system 25B. The first feed system 25A and the second feed system 25B serve as a bridging means for the materials 3, 5 between the main body 1 and the sub-body 1A, such that a first material 3 can be transferred into the first access channel 2A of the sub-body 1A with the aid of the first access channel 2A to the first feed system 25A. Furthermore, the second material 5 is supplied via a second access channel 2B of the main body 1, then by the second feed system 25B into the second access channel 2B of the sub-body 1A, with the first and the second access channel 2A, 2B of the sub-body 1A leading into the outlet 7 of the sub-body 1A. Further heating elements 9 may also be associated with the main body 1.

(9) Contrary to the layout illustrated in FIG. 2, no macroscopic gap is present between the main body 1 and the sub-body 1A. Rather, the surface of the sub-body 1A is in abutment with the opposite surface of the main body 1. An intermediate layer (not shown) is also possible between the lower surface of the main body 1 and the upper surface of the sub-body 1A, which intermediate layer does not extend continuously in the region of the feed systems 25A, 25B. The feed systems 25A, 25B can be sealed off by the intermediate layer. Friction can be reduced in addition. The intermediate layer can also be realized via a coating on the sub-body 1A and/or the main body 1. Here, the sub-body 1A additionally has a heating element 9 so that a first material 3 and a second material 5 do not solidify or harden in an access channel 2A, 2B of the sub-body 1A. The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 possesses the advantage that only the sub-body 1A rotates in relation to the main body 1 or the workpiece WS, thus removing the need for a complicated rotation of the workpiece WS or the substrate and/or a rotation of the main body 1.

(10) FIG. 3 shows a further view of the main body 1 or the sub-body 1A. The intermediate section between the main body 1 and the sub-body 1A is shown, where the main body 1 and the sub-body 2 have the recesses designated by hatching on the side at which the two are joined together. The surfaces in abutment with one another in the print head each have two torus-section-shaped recesses that are provided for transferring the first material 3 or the second material 5. The two torus-section-shaped recesses of the main body or the sub-body 1A have openings, where the openings represent the access points to the access channels 2A, 2B. When the main body 1 and the sub-body 1A are joined together, a torus-shaped recess therefore results. The torus-shaped recess is bounded on one side by the sub-body 1A. The torus-shaped recess is bounded on the other side by the main body 1. On the side of the sub-body 1, the torus-section-shaped recesses have an outlet to the respective access channel 2A, 2B as well as an inlet on the side of the main body. The inlet is connected in each case to the access channel 2A, 2B of the main body 1. The connection of the access channels 2A, 2B on the side of the main body 1 to the respective access channels 2A, 2B of the sub-body via the respective feed system 25A, 25B serves to transfer the materials 3, 5 from the access channel 2A, 2B of the main body 1 to the corresponding access channels 2A, 2B of the sub-body.

(11) In this arrangement, the axis of rotation d stands vertically, roughly in the middle of the surfaces shown. When a rotation of the sub-body 1 with respect to the main body 1A is performed, the shape of the torus-shaped recesses is preserved.

(12) The torus-shaped recess with the two openings (inlet orifice and an outlet orifice) that end in the access channels 2A, 2B form the feed system 25A, 25B. A main body 1 with associated sub-body 1A has such a feed system 25A, 25B for each material 3, 5 that is to be processed.

(13) The torus-shaped recesses are filled with a material 3, 5 through the respective inbound access channel 2A, 2B (of the main body 1). The material 3, 5 exits the torus-shaped recess through the access channel 2A, 2B of the sub-body 1A.

(14) FIG. 4 shows the schematic illustration of a method for producing a workpiece WS. The main body 1 is shown together with the first access channel 2A and the second access channel 2B, where a heating element 9 is associated with each of the first and the second access channel 2A, 2B. The first material 3 is deposited onto the workpiece WS via the first access channel 2A through the outlet 7 and the second material 5 is deposited onto the workpiece WS via the second access channel 2B through the outlet 7. The materials may also be deposited onto a substrate. Instead of the main body 1 or the sub-body 1A, in this case the workpiece WS or the substrate rotates about an axis of rotation d at a speed of rotation W. In addition, the workpiece WS and/or the substrate move such that the workpiece WS and/or the substrate rotate continuously about the axis of rotation d, with the axis of rotation d extending through the outlet 7. This is symbolized by the crossed arrows B under the workpiece WS. In the presently shown embodiment, the main body 1 or the sub-body 1A remains constant in its orientation. The main body 1A changes its position with respect to the workpiece WS or with respect to the substrate only in a translational movement.

(15) The (translational) movement of the workpiece WS, the main body 1, the speed of rotation v of the main body 1, the sub-body 1A, and the movement of the workpiece WS/substrate in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 are controlled or regulated by the control device based on the specifications for the workpiece. The control device can furthermore control the heating elements 9, the motor 15 and, where applicable, further elements. The translational movement of the workpiece is symbolized by the crossed arrows B underneath the workpiece WS.

(16) Although the present exemplary embodiments shown are each depicted with two access channels 2A, 2B and two, in particular different, materials 3, 5, the invention is also suitable for application with in each case three, four or more access channels for three, four or more materials.

(17) The disclosed embodiments of the invention can be used particularly advantageously for providing a material composed of a metallic alloy. The metals, in particular metals having a low melting point, can be blended via the device or method described here to form an alloy and the alloy can serve as material for a workpiece. Thus, metals having different densities, such as aluminum and lead, may also be utilized as material for producing a workpiece.

(18) In sum, the disclosed embodiments of the invention relate to a method and a device for depositing at least one material 3, 5 onto a substrate or a workpiece WS, an extruder, a 3D print head, a 3D printer and a machine tool. The disclosed embodiments of invention also relate to a control device. The device has a main body 1 having an outlet 7 for the materials 3, 5. The materials 3, 5 are supplied to the outlet 7 through at least two access channels 2A, 2B and are mixed and/or blended there. A rotational movement of the main body 1 with respect to the substrate or the workpiece WS causes the materials 3, 5 to be blended in a manner analogous to a double helix or a braid. Blending/mixing of the materials is advantageously improved via the invention. When applied to a 3D printing method, either the workpiece WS rotates about an axis of rotation d that extends through the outlet 7 of the main body 1, or the main body 1, and consequently the outlet 7 itself, rotates.

(19) FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the fused deposition modelling method for depositing at least one material 3, 5 onto a substrate or a workpiece WS. The method comprises supplying at least a first material 3 to an outlet 7 of a main body 1 through a first access channel 2A, as indicated in step 510.

(20) Next, a second material 5 is supplied to the outlet 7 of the main body 1 through a second access channel 2B, as indicated in step 520.

(21) In accordance with the invention, at least one of (i) the main body and (ii) the workpiece and the substrate rotate about an axis of rotation d that extends through the outlet 7, where the outlet (7) forms converged ends of the first and second access channels (2A, 2B).

(22) Thus, while there have been shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.