3D SCREEN PRINTING FACILITY AND 3D SCREEN PRINTING METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SHAPED ARTICLE

Abstract

A 3D screen-printing apparatus for producing a shaped article includes: a printing table; a printing screen with a printing mask having a layer geometry for producing the shaped article layer by layer; an application unit to apply a printing material to the printing screen and to work it into the printing masks to produce a shaped-article layer; and a first positioning unit configured to increase the distance between the printing table and the printing screen by way of a first relative movement after the production of each shaped-article layer. The printing screen has printing masks, and the 3D screen-printing apparatus has a second positioning unit configured to perform a second relative movement between the printing table and the printing screen so different printing masks of the one printing screen can be positioned one after the other at a shaped-article position where an individual shaped article is to be built.

Claims

1. A 3D screen-printing apparatus for producing at least one shaped article in a 3D screen-printing method, in which the shaped article is to be built up layer by layer, the 3D screen-printing apparatus comprising: a printing table on which the at least one shaped article can be produced layer by layer; a printing screen having at least one printing mask which has a layer geometry for producing the shaped article layer by layer; an application unit configured to apply a printing material onto the printing screen and to work said material into the printing masks to produce a shaped-article layer; and a first positioning unit configured to increase the distance between the printing table and the printing screen by way of a first relative movement after the production of each shaped-article layer; wherein the printing screen comprises a plurality of printing masks, and the 3D screen-printing apparatus has a second positioning unit configured to perform a second relative movement between the printing table and the printing screen in such a way that different printing masks of the printing screen are positionable one after the other at a shaped-article position, where an individual shaped article is to be built.

2. The 3D screen-printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second positioning unit is designed in such a way that the second relative movement between the printing table and the printing screen is performed within the plane defined by one of the printing table and the printing screen.

3. The 3D screen-printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second positioning unit is configured to perform the second relative movement between the printing table and the printing screen as at least one of a rotatory and a translatory movement.

4. The 3D screen-printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the 3D screen-printing apparatus has a heating unit configured to control the temperature of at least one of the shaped article andan individual shaped-article layer.

5. The 3D screen-printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second positioning unit is configured to perform a rotatory relative movement between the printing table and the printing screen about a rotary axis, wherein a plurality of printing masks are arranged in the printing screen on at least one concentric circle about the rotary axis.

6. The 3D screen-printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of concentric circles about the rotary axis are provided in the printing screen, a plurality of printing masks being arranged on each one of the plurality of concentric circles.

7. The 3D screen-printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein all printing masks arranged in the printing screen on a common concentric circle about the rotary axis, are identical regarding at least one of the layer geometry to be produced and the geometric alignment.

8. The 3D screen-printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein all printing masks in the printing screen are equidistantly arranged on the common concentric circle about the rotary axis, wherein the angle between two printing masks corresponds to an integer multiple of a full circle.

9. A method for producing at least one shaped article in a 3D screen-printing method, in which the shaped article is to be built up layer by layer, the method comprising the steps of: applying a printing material on a printing screen having a plurality of printing masks, each printing mask having a layer geometry for producing at least one shaped article layer by layer on a printing table, and working the printing material into at least one printing mask of the printing screen for producing a shaped-article layer; wherein, after the production of each shaped-article layer, by means of a first relative movement, the distance between the printing table and the printing screen is increased; and performing at least one second relative movement between the printing table and the printing screen by means of a second positioning unit in such a manner that different printing masks of the one printing screen are positioned one after the other at a shaped-article position, where the at least one shaped article is to be built.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising a first step of: providing a 3D-printing apparatus for producing at least one shaped article in a 3D screen-printing method, in which the shaped article is to be built up layer by layer, the 3D screen-printing apparatus comprising: a printing table on which the at least one shaped article can be produced layer by layer; a printing screen having at least one printing mask which has a layer geometry for producing the shaped article layer by layer; an application unit configured to apply a printing material onto the printing screen and to work said material into the printing masks to produce a shaped-article layer; and a first positioning unit configured to increase the distance between the printing table and the printing screen by way of a first relative movement after the production of each shaped-article layer; wherein the printing screen comprises a plurality of printing masks, and the 3D screen-printing apparatus has a second positioning unit configured to perform a second relative movement between the printing table and the printing screen in such a way that different printing masks of the printing screen are positionable one after the other at a shaped-article position, where an individual shaped article is to be built; then performing the method for producing at least one shaped article using the 3D-printing apparatus.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the second relative movement between the printing table and the printing screen is performed by means of the second positioning unit within the plane defined by at least one of the printing table and the printing screen.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the second relative movement between the printing table and the printing screen is performed as at least one of a rotatory and a translatory movement.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the temperature of the shaped article is controlled by means of a heating unit.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein a rotatory relative movement between the printing table and the printing screen is performed about a rotary axis by means of the second positioning unit, wherein the printing material is applied to a printing screen, in which a plurality of printing masks are arranged on at least one concentric circle about the rotary axis, wherein the printing material is worked into the printing masks for producing the shaped-article layer.

15. (canceled)

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein the temperature of each individual shaped-article layer is controlled by means of a heating unit.

17. The 3D screen-printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second positioning unit is configured to perform the second relative movement between the printing table and the printing screen as at least one of a rotatory and a translatory movement.

18. The 3D screen-printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the 3D screen-printing apparatus has a heating unit configured to control the temperature of at least one of the shaped article andan individual shaped-article layer.

19. The 3D screen-printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the 3D screen-printing apparatus has a heating unit configured to control the temperature of at least one of the shaped article andan individual shaped-article layer.

20. The 3D screen-printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second positioning unit is configured to perform a rotatory relative movement between the printing table and the printing screen about a rotary axis, wherein a plurality of printing masks are arranged in the printing screen on at least one concentric circle about the rotary axis.

21. The 3D screen-printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second positioning unit is configured to perform a rotatory relative movement between the printing table and the printing screen about a rotary axis, wherein a plurality of printing masks are arranged in the printing screen on at least one concentric circle about the rotary axis.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the 3D screen-printing apparatus;

[0042] FIG. 2 schematically shows a diagram of a printing screen of the 3D screen-printing apparatus according to the invention; and

[0043] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary diagram of the variation of the printing mask due to the second relative movement.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0044] FIG. 1 schematically shows the 3D screen-printing apparatus 10 according to the invention, including its generic and, in particular, novel elements. The apparatus 10 has a frame 12 on which a supporting frame 14 is arranged to be vertically movable by means of a first positioning unit 16.

[0045] Furthermore, on the supporting frame 14, a printing table 18 is arranged, on which one or more shaped articles 20 are to be produced layer by layer from individual shaped-article layers 22. Above the printing table 18, on the frame 12, furthermore, a printing screen 24 is fixedly arranged allowing the individual shaped-article layers 22 to be produced by means of the printing masks 26 provided in the printing screen 24.

[0046] If the supporting frame 14 is now vertically moved by means of the first positioning unit 16, the printing table 18 is also vertically moved so that, due to this first relative movement R.sub.1, the distance between the printing table 18 and the printing screen 24 can be changed, in particular, increased.

[0047] Furthermore, the apparatus 10 comprises an application unit 30 allowing a printing material 32 to be applied on the top surface of the printing screen 24. A doctor blade 34, able to be traversed with respect to the printing screen 24, allows the printing material 32 to be spread on the printing screen 24 and to be worked into the printing masks 26 of the printing screen 24.

[0048] Furthermore, the screen-printing apparatus 10 comprises a second positioning unit 28 arranged between the supporting frame 14 and the printing table 18 and cooperating with the printing table 18 in such a manner that the latter can be rotatably moved about the rotary axis D. The printing table 18 is thus attached above the second positioning unit 28 within the screen-printing apparatus 10 in such a way that the printing table 18 is able to be relatively moved with respect to the supporting frame 14 and the printing screen 24. The relative movement thus generated is indicated as R.sub.2.

[0049] Rotating the printing table 18 thus enables the positioning of different printing masks 26 at a shaped-article position where a particular shaped article 20 is to be produced to thus implement different cross-sections without having to equip the screen-printing apparatus with a new printing screen.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows an advantageous embodiment in which the printing masks 26 are equidistantly grouped in concentric circles about the rotary axis D on the printing screen 24. At each position where there is a printing mask 26 in the printing screen 24 an individual shaped article can be produced as long as the angle between two printing masks 26 equidistantly arranged on a common concentric circle about the rotary axis D corresponds to an integer multiple of a full circle, which means that the printing masks 26 are not rotated with respect to each other. When, due to the relative movement, the alignment between the printing table and the printing screen is changed by exactly the angle which causes the printing masks 26, preceding against the direction of rotation, on a concentric circle, to fall on the next subsequent printing mask 26 or the one after that or even after that et cetera, of the component geometry, each subsequent, forth-following, et cetera, printing mask is positioned, at each position formed by a corresponding printing mask 26 in the printing screen 24, at the corresponding shaped-article position.

[0051] The embodiment of FIG. 2 also shows that each printing mask 26 in the printing screen 24 has an identical layer geometry and an identical geometric alignment. Due to the relative movement between the printing table 18 and the printing screen 24, the geometric alignment of the printing masks 26 in relation to a corresponding shaped-article position varies by exactly the angle needed for the translatory movement of the one mask to the other on the concentric circle which allows screw-like or propeller-like shaped articles to be produced, in particular.

[0052] Such a change of the printing mask in relation to a corresponding shaped-article position is shown in FIG. 3. At a corresponding shaped-article position, the printing mask 26 changes regarding its geometric alignment at each relative movement about the corresponding angle so that the one recess 26a provided in the printing mask 26 has a different alignment for each relative movement.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0053] 10 3D screen-printing apparatus

[0054] 12 frame

[0055] 14 supporting frame

[0056] 16 first positioning unit

[0057] 18 printing table

[0058] 20 shaped article

[0059] 22 shaped-article layer

[0060] 24 printing screen

[0061] 26 printing mask

[0062] 28 second positioning unit

[0063] 30 application unit

[0064] 32 printing material

[0065] 34 doctor blade

[0066] D rotary axis

[0067] R.sub.1 first relative movement

[0068] R.sub.2 second relative movement