Resin Deposition Modelling (RDM) a new 3D printing method

We are starting first feasibility testing of an innovative 3D printing method that we've named Resin Deposition Modelling (RDM).

It consists in depositing UV curable resin by means of a dispenser and a needle and immediately cure it using a 100mw/405nm laser diode beam.

Basically, we developed a toolhead for our robot that incorporates a rotating turret implementing a new axis - the R axis. This axis guides the laser beam tangentially to the dispensing needle, in such a way, that the beam is always following the motion path of the needle curing the resin.



More information: Diyouware

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/2017 04:03PM by Diyouware.

... dispensing UV-resins and hardening them layer by layer isn't really new - the newest methode uses multi-nozzle-heads and is best shown with the Objet-printers, but was done with single dispensers since maybe 1985 or even sooner ....

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

We couldn't find something similar to our machine and in this sense we think it's innovative. Did you find it? Please, send us a picture or a link.

On the other hand, we are not at the same league than multi-nozzle professional printers.

It's difficult to find something really innovative. Even Fuse Deposition Modelling was invented before RepRap and thanks to them, a lot of people have now a 3D printer at home. From my opinion RepRap was innovative and disrupting although FDM exists before it.

... I've done this "paste-dispensing+curing" thingy several times in the last 30+ years on my own with different setups and materials and curing/hardening methodes -- air-drying, heat- or UV-curing, 2K-polymerisation, ...

One of the last demonstrations was on a small maker-fair - here an image of the result:




Did some videos of paste-dispensing with the same setup too:
[vimeo.com]
[vimeo.com]

This last demonstrations were made with a piezo-driven nozzle, what's a pretty expensive tool -- but did the same in the past with stepper driven pistons and pressure+time-controlled dispensers too.

Don't have images or videos from the older developments, as this was long before internet and blogging was common ...

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Congratulations, it's impressive, although the result does not seem very impressive. Anyway, we think our method is complete different that yours. And your machine and ours are so similar than a dog and a drop of water.

We dispense the resin in a similar way a FDM printer extrudes the plastic and immediately we cure the resin using the laser beam, which is attached to a rotational turret which follows the motion path....but anyway, if you think the innovation is yours since 30+ years ago, no problem, we give you, you are free to patent it!!. Sincerely, we are not here to fight with people who has invented the world, just to design useful open-source machines and share them with the community. Anyway, thanks for the information.

... no, this wasn't my intention!

I've posted only to inform you, that dispensing and curing polymers is a common technique since a long time and was used for all sorts of coating surfaces or "3D-printing" of seals and other structural parts.

And this sure wasn't my "invention" - could be, this is a technique used for etching or printing since some 80+ years, as I've seen metal parts dispenser-coated with shellack, which were made before WW2

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Sorry Viktor....yes dispensing and curing polymers using light, chemical, and other energy sources exist before WW2 but, it's impossible that our method were made before WW2 neither a few years ago. We are using a high reactive UV resin which were developed in last years for SLL and DLP printers. It cures immediately using the appropriate laser source and power and here it's where resides the innovation. We dispense the resin and the laser cures it immediately after it goes out of the nozzle, in the similar way a FDM printer does when the plastic get cooler with the air contact.

... look here, at the 3rd image - [www.reprap.org]

In this build I've duplicated an older type of a comercial UV-glue-dispenser with DIY-materials -- the original type used not UV-led's (weren't available then), but a Halogen-lamp with 300 Watts light power (containing maybe 3 to 5 percents UV), fed through quartz-glass fibers to the dispenser head, to pre-cure the dispensed UV-glue while dispensing ... the complete curing/hardening was done after completing the "print" in a big box with fluorescent tubes, which gave more percents of UV light.

Today it's mostly done with high-power UV-LED's -- have some watercooled types with 9Watts of 405nm UV ... lower wavelengths would be better, but 405nm is OK, if you have the right resin types.

This type of "3D-printing" was/is mostly done for manufacturing micro-sensors, complex modules and used in high accuracy microassembly installations, so most of the components prices were way above typical DIY- or hobby-budgets ...

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

But....Viktor... we still don't think it is the same method that we use in our toolhead. UV Resins and inks where developed for curing with UV light this is obvious. They have been used since long time ago for printing, gluing components, paint nails, an a lot of things more. Paste dispensers based on srynge aren't also new. If you tried to cure UV resin with a paste dispenser and a couple of leds some time ago does not invalidate the innovation of our art. Probably your method did not work because we don't see this kind of printers at the internet or shops. In fact, you did not continue the development.

As we already said, we use a selective method which cures a nowadays high-reactive resin using a laser beam an a rotating turret which follows tangentially the motion path concentrating the laser on the resin just when it is out of the nozzle and curing it in milliseconds. We think we will be able to print thin layers using this method.

Anyway, we don't think we will convince you, so you are right: you did it before, we don't want to waste more time argue with you. Thanks for the information. We will interrupt our testing and machine development, throw the machine to the rubbish bin and get a job at our local supermarket. :-)

... you don't have to convice me - sorry if I've "rained on your parade" ... have only thought to give you some background infos, before you start a maybe expensive way to patent something obvious and long known

Are you aware of the fab@home project? -- [en.wikipedia.org]

They started in the same time as RepRap, but didn't get enough "momentum" to survive for long

The printing methode was designed around dispensing pastes with any sort of material and different curing/hardening methodes .. "instant UV-curing" was one of them.

So again, use all this infos as you wish ... check, if you can get IP's on your methode ... and good luck!

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Diyouware if you can incorporate a high volume of fibers such as fiberglass into the extrudate then you would have a very desirable process/machine.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/23/2024 07:57PM by brianmh13.