TW201700265A - A vat photopolymerization device - Google Patents

Abstract

A vat photopolymerization device includes a laser light, a laser beam expander, a translucent mechanism and a forming mechanism. The laser light emits a laser beam downward. The laser beam expander expands the diameter of the laser beam. The translucent mechanism transmits a portion of the expanded laser beam and divides the transmitted laser beam into a plurality of laser light that is matrix arrangement. The forming mechanism includes a container which contains light-curable liquid, and a focusing unit which can move up and down and is disposed between the translucent mechanism and the container. The focusing unit receives the laser light transmitted from the translucent mechanism and focuses the laser light at a predetermined depth in the container. The laser light can be adjusted to the predetermined position by the translucent mechanism and the focusing unit so as to curing the light-curable liquid.

Description

Three-dimensional printing device

The present invention relates to a three-dimensional printing apparatus, and more particularly to a three-dimensional printing apparatus having a light adjusting mechanism.

3D printing is a rapid prototyping technique. Based on a digital model file, multiple sections are printed layer by layer in liquid, powder or sheet material, and the layers are bonded together. Create an entity.

In detail, 3D printing is usually implemented by digital technical material printers. First, through computer-aided design (CAD) or computer animation modeling software modeling, the 3D model is "segmented" into layers. Section, then control the 3D printer to print layer by layer. Existing printing techniques can be distinguished by the use of raw materials that use molten or softened plastic materials as printing materials, such as selective laser sintering (SLS) and fused deposition modeling (FDM). And techniques for using liquid materials as printing materials, such as stereolithography (SLA) and laminated object manufacturing (LOM).

For example, an existing SLA 3D printer includes a receiving container, a laser source, a scanner, and a molding mechanism. The containment vessel is for holding a photosensitive resin that is positioned lower than the containment vessel for emitting a laser beam to the scanner. The scanner is located directly under the container, and the laser beam is reflected to the bottom wall of the container and irradiated to the photosensitive resin, and the photosensitive resin receives the corresponding wavelength of light to form a solidification. The molding mechanism includes a molding platform that can be inserted into the container and moved up and down relative to the bottom wall to stretch an article cured by the photosensitive resin.

However, the above molding method is only suitable for the production of molded articles of one to several hundred centimeters, and is not applicable to "micro-scale micro-products". If the micro-product is stretched by the molding platform, the moving process of the product is affected by the drawing force, which is liable to cause damage, so that it is difficult to produce a precision product. Therefore, how to develop a three-dimensional printing machine that can be applied to the production of miniature-sized products is currently a subject worthy of study.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a three-dimensional printing apparatus which is less susceptible to damage to a cured product and which can improve its manufacturing precision.

Therefore, the three-dimensional printing apparatus of the present invention is suitable for three-dimensional printing with a photocurable liquid material, and includes a laser light source, a laser beam expander, a light transmitting mechanism, and a molding mechanism. The laser source emits a laser beam downward. The laser beam expander enlarges the diameter of the laser beam. The light transmitting mechanism transmits the expanded portion of the laser beam, and divides the transmitted laser beam into a plurality of matrix-arranged laser beams. The molding mechanism includes a A container for containing the photocurable liquid material, and a concentrating unit that is vertically displaceably disposed between the light transmitting mechanism and the container. The concentrating unit receives the laser light transmitted by the light transmitting mechanism, and focuses the laser light at a predetermined depth in the container, and the laser beam transmits the portion through the light transmitting mechanism The light beam, and the concentrating unit are displaced up and down, so that the laser light can be adjusted to a predetermined position, respectively, and the photocurable liquid material is solidified.

Preferably, the light transmitting mechanism comprises a plurality of light transmitting units, and each of the light transmitting units controls the laser beam of the corresponding portion to penetrate and not penetrate one of the two.

Preferably, the receiving container of the molding mechanism has a bottom wall, and a first surrounding wall extending from a periphery of the bottom wall, the bottom wall and the first surrounding wall are cooperatively defined to have a first An opening chamber for containing the photocurable liquid material, and the molding mechanism further includes a molding groove extending through the first opening and moving up and down relative to the bottom wall, the molding groove having a a translucent base wall, and a second surrounding wall extending from a periphery of the base wall, the base wall and the second surrounding wall cooperating to define a slot chamber having a second opening, the concentrating unit being disposed The base wall is located in the chamber.

Preferably, the concentrating unit of the molding mechanism has a plurality of microlenses.

Preferably, each of the light transmitting units of the light transmitting mechanism is composed of liquid crystal molecules.

Preferably, wherein the chamber of the molding mechanism is filled with liquid medium quality.

The effect of the invention is that the portion of the laser beam is transmitted through the light transmissive mechanism, and the concentrating unit is displaced up and down, so that the laser light can be adjusted to a predetermined position, respectively, so that the photocurable liquid state The raw material is solidified and molded, which not only reduces the damage rate, but also improves the manufacturing precision.

1‧‧‧Laser light source

10‧‧‧Laser beam

100‧‧‧Laser light

2‧‧‧Laser beam expander

3‧‧‧Lighting mechanism

31‧‧‧Lighting unit

6‧‧‧Molding mechanism

61‧‧‧Container container

611‧‧‧ bottom wall

612‧‧‧First surrounding wall

613‧‧ ‧ room

614‧‧‧ first opening

62‧‧‧ concentrating unit

621‧‧‧Microlens

63‧‧‧forming trough

631‧‧‧ base wall

632‧‧‧Second surrounding wall

633‧‧‧slot chamber

634‧‧‧ second opening

7‧‧‧Materials

8‧‧‧Media

The other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the accompanying drawings. FIG. Figure 2 is a side elevational view showing the actual embodiment of the preferred embodiment.

The following description of the preferred embodiments is provided to illustrate the specific embodiments of the invention. The positive/negative directions of the X/Y/Z axis mentioned in the present invention are only the directions referring to the additional drawings. Therefore, the directional terminology used is for the purpose of illustration and not limitation.

Referring to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the three-dimensional printing apparatus of the present invention comprises a laser light source 1, a laser beam expander 2, a light transmitting mechanism 3, and a molding mechanism 6.

The laser source 1 emits a laser beam 10 downwards, that is, the laser beam 10 is advanced in the positive direction of the Z-axis.

The laser beam expander 2 is disposed on the light path of the laser light source 1 Upper, and the diameter of the laser beam 10 is enlarged.

The light transmissive mechanism 3 is specifically a liquid crystal display (LCD) capable of transmitting the enlarged portion of the laser beam 10 and dividing the transmitted laser beam 10 into a plurality of A matrix of laser rays 100 arranged. In detail, the light transmissive mechanism 3 includes a plurality of light transmitting units 31, each of which is composed of liquid crystal molecules, and the rotation of the liquid crystal to the polarization direction of the light can be controlled by the electrostatic field, thereby realizing control of the light. Without voltage, the light will travel along the gap of the liquid crystal molecules and turn 90 degrees, so the light can pass; but after the voltage is applied, the light advances straight along the gap of the liquid crystal molecules, so the light is filtered by the filter (not shown). The barrier cannot penetrate. Therefore, through the above principle, each of the light transmitting units 31 can control the corresponding portion of the laser beam 10 to penetrate downward or not, so that the laser light 100 can be adjusted in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis. The coordinate position of the direction.

The molding mechanism 6 is disposed directly below the light transmission mechanism 3 and includes a receiving container 61, a concentrating unit 62, and a molding groove 63. The container 61 is for holding the photocurable liquid material 7 and has a bottom wall 611 and a first surrounding wall 612 extending upward from the periphery of the bottom wall 611. The bottom wall 611 and the first surrounding wall The 612 cooperates to define a chamber 613 having a first opening 614 for containing the photocurable liquid material 7.

Referring to FIG. 2, the molding groove 63 can extend through the first opening 614 to move up and down relative to the bottom wall 611, and has a light-transmissive base wall 631, and an upwardly extending from the periphery of the base wall 631. Second surrounding wall 632 The base wall 631 and the second surrounding wall 632 cooperate to define a slot chamber 633 having a second opening 634 for containing the liquid medium 8. In the present embodiment, the liquid medium 8 is water or a liquid that can transmit light, but other medium 8 that can make the wavelength of the laser light 100 smaller can be used, and is not limited thereto. Therefore, the liquid medium 8 can facilitate the focusing of the laser light 100. It should be emphasized that FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the embodiment. Actually, the molding groove 63 is located in the chamber 613 of the container 61 (as shown in FIG. 2).

The concentrating unit 62 is disposed on the base wall 631 and located in the slot chamber 633, and receives the laser light 100 transmitted by the light transmitting mechanism 3, and focuses the laser light 100 on the laser light 100. The container 61 is at a predetermined depth. In detail, the concentrating unit 62 has a plurality of microlenses 621, and can be vertically displaced with the forming groove 63 between the light transmitting mechanism 3 and the receiving container 61 to adjust the Z of the laser light 100. Coordinate position.

In particular, the cross-sectional area of the molding groove 63 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the receiving container 61, so that the forming groove 63 can move up and down with respect to the bottom wall 611, and can also follow the laser. The horizontal displacement of the light 100 causes the concentrating unit 62 to focus the laser light 100 at a predetermined depth within the sump container 61. That is, the forming groove 63 can switch the position of the laser light 100 by the horizontal movement to cooperate with the light transmitting mechanism 3, so that the light collecting unit 62 can focus the laser light 100 at a predetermined position.

In summary, the three-dimensional printing device transmits the portion of the laser beam 10 by the light transmitting mechanism 3 to adjust the laser light 100 in the X The coordinate position in the axial direction and the Y-axis direction is further displaced upward and downward through the concentrating unit 62, so that the laser light 100 can be adjusted to a predetermined position, respectively, and the photocurable liquid material 7 is solidified. That is, it is not necessary to cure the molding by stretching the raw material 7, which not only reduces the damage rate, but also improves the manufacturing precision by adjusting the three dimensions of the laser light 100, so that the invention can be achieved. The purpose.

The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, that is, the simple equivalent changes and modifications made by the patent application scope and patent specification content of the present invention, All remain within the scope of the invention patent.

1‧‧‧Laser light source

10‧‧‧Laser beam

100‧‧‧Laser light

2‧‧‧Laser beam expander

3‧‧‧Lighting mechanism

31‧‧‧Lighting unit

6‧‧‧Molding mechanism

61‧‧‧Container container

611‧‧‧ bottom wall

612‧‧‧First surrounding wall

613‧‧ ‧ room

614‧‧‧ first opening

62‧‧‧ concentrating unit

621‧‧‧Microlens

63‧‧‧forming trough

631‧‧‧ base wall

632‧‧‧Second surrounding wall

633‧‧‧slot chamber

634‧‧‧ second opening

7‧‧‧Materials

8‧‧‧Media

Claims (6)

A three-dimensional printing device is suitable for three-dimensional printing with a photocurable liquid material, comprising a laser light source, emitting a laser beam downwards; and a laser beam expander for expanding the diameter of the laser beam; An optical mechanism that transmits the amplified portion of the laser beam and divides the transmitted laser beam into a plurality of matrix-arranged laser beams; and a molding mechanism including a lens for containing the photocurable liquid material a receiving container, and a concentrating unit disposed between the light transmitting mechanism and the receiving container, the concentrating unit receives the laser light transmitted by the light transmitting mechanism, and The laser light is focused at a predetermined depth in the container, and the laser beam transmits the portion of the laser beam, and the concentrating unit is displaced up and down, so that the laser light can be adjusted to the position The photocurable liquid material is solidified by a predetermined position. The three-dimensional printing device of claim 1, wherein the light transmissive mechanism comprises a plurality of light transmissive units, each of the light transmissive units controlling the laser beam penetration and non-penetration of the corresponding portion. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the receiving container of the molding mechanism has a bottom wall, and a first surrounding wall extending from a periphery of the bottom wall, the bottom wall and the first surrounding wall are matched Defining a chamber having a first opening, the chamber is for containing the photocurable liquid material, and the molding mechanism further includes a first opening that can be extended relative to the bottom a molding groove that moves up and down the wall, the molding groove has a light-transmissive base wall, and a second surrounding wall extending from a periphery of the base wall, the base wall and the second surrounding wall are cooperatively defined around each other a second open slot chamber, the concentrating unit is disposed on the base wall and located in the slot. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the concentrating unit of the molding mechanism has a plurality of microlenses. The three-dimensional printing device of claim 4, wherein each of the light transmitting units of the light transmitting mechanism is composed of liquid crystal molecules. The three-dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the chamber of the molding mechanism contains a liquid medium.