Resin Contamination Prevention in 3D Printing

Washing apparatus and methods for cleaning 3D printed parts to remove uncured resin. The apparatus has an open-topped vessel with inlets, drains, and valves. Two storage containers are connected to the pump and valves. The pump moves solvent between the vessels and the vessel inlets. After 3D printing, the part is placed in the vessel. The pump pumps solvent from one storage container into the vessel. Then, the valves switch and the pump pumps solvent from the other storage container into the vessel. This repeatedly flushes the part with solvent and drains the uncured resin.

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A sealed 3D printing output cleaning device that improves safety, reduces waste, and recycles unreacted resin. The device has a separate, enclosed cleaning tank that holds a recirculating cleaning liquid. After cleaning the 3D printed output with misted cleaning fluid while rotating it, the output is dried with air mist. The cleaning liquid is filtered and recycled to remove unreacted resin. This prevents toxic vapors and resin waste compared to open systems.

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3D printer platform cleaning device that efficiently removes waste from the printing platform and captures the dust generated during cleaning to prevent contamination. The device has a sliding chute with a rotatable connection to rods on either end. The chute has a waste storage mechanism on the platform side and a dust storage mechanism on the rod side. The dust storage mechanism connects to a suction mechanism that captures the dust raised during cleaning and transfers it to a central processing location. The platform waste storage and dust collection prevent contamination from spreading.

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3D printer to print implantable bone scaffolds in an aseptic environment. The printer uses a sterile cartridge of biodegradable printing material. A movable sterile receiving plate catches the printed scaffold. A cover with UV light maintains the aseptic environment inside. The cover has a filter and positive airflow to keep out contaminants. The printer also has a heater to melt the printing material for extrusion. The sterile cartridge and receiving plate can be replaced for each print to ensure sterility.

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Antimicrobial 3D-printed material for preparing surfaces with enhanced antimicrobial properties to limit skin contact contamination. The material is made by mixing an antimicrobial agent with a 3D printing resin and then printing it using digital light processing without the need for nanotubes or complex nanotechnology. The antimicrobial agent can be a positively charged chemical like PHMB or CPC. The resulting 3D-printed objects have an intrinsic long-lasting antimicrobial activity to reduce bacterial/viral contamination on high-touch surfaces.

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A filament feed system for 3D printers to enable sealed filament pathways to prevent moisture absorption. The system uses detachable filament supplies with connector keys that plug into printer receptacles. The keys have different shapes to fit specific receptacles. They also have guide tubes to enclose the filament path from the supply to the printer. The keys seal the receptacles to prevent air/moisture ingress.

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Printing 3D objects with a smoother surface and better mechanical properties by avoiding cracks and roughness caused by mixing a support material with the main printing material. The method generates a 3D digital model separating the body and support regions into adjacent slices. This allows printing the body material layers first, hardening them, and then printing the support material layers on separate scans. This prevents mixing and interface issues between the two materials.

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Model post-processing method to safely clean and cure 3D printed parts without explosive hazards. The method involves spraying cleaning fluid into the print chamber to remove uncured resin, then purifying the chamber gas to reduce cleaning component concentration. This prevents excessive cleaning component levels during UV curing that could cause explosions. The purification reduces flammable component levels and improves safety during curing.

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Three-dimensional printing with enhanced resolutions and cleaning capabilities. The 3D printing system uses a projector to project the appropriate energy onto forming materials in a reservoir tank to create a solid object. The projector can be customized to emit the required energy (e.g., UV light) for specific materials like resins, ceramics, metals, biologies, etc. The printer also has a cleaning method that coagulates debris in the tank using the projector and a removable bottom surface geometry.

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A multi-stage wash system to clean 3D printed objects made using vat polymerization (VP) 3D printing, such as SLA and DLP. The system removes uncured resin from the printed objects by pumping a wash solvent through multiple wash stages for efficient cleaning. It uses an automatic stirring device to agitate the solvent and a drying system to remove residual solvent. The system also monitors resin concentration in the wash solvent to determine replacement.

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Wash system for removing residual resin from 3D printed objects created using vat polymerization (VP) processes like stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP). The system has multiple stages for efficient, reliable, and user-friendly washing and drying. It uses a wash reservoir with agitation, solvent cartridges, concentration monitoring, adaptive wash durations, and recycling. The system also prevents splashing and allows solvent replacement.

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Three-dimensional shaping apparatus and method for 3D printing that allows cleaning the nozzle during printing to prevent material leaks. It has a cleaning mechanism separate from the print area that can be activated mid-print to clean the nozzle. The cleaning process is triggered when pressure in the nozzle exceeds a threshold. The nozzle moves to the cleaning area, is cleaned, and then returns to printing once pressure is normal. This prevents material leaks during printing that can mar the object being printed.

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Container arrangement of an unpacking device for a manufacturing device for additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional component by selectively solidifying pulverulent construction material (construction material powder). The container arrangement includes a construction container for the manufacturing device, a funnel-shaped collecting container, and an opening device arranged between the construction container and the collecting container.

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A multi-stage wash system for removing uncured resin from 3D printed objects created using vat polymerization (VP) processes and removing residual wash solvent. The system has stages like preliminary and fine washing, with adaptive wash durations based on factors like resin type and concentration. An agitator creates turbulence to clean better. The system monitors resin concentration and replaces solvent when needed. It also has features like auto refilling, observation windows, and slanted draining to prevent splashing.

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Multi-stage wash system for removing uncured resin from 3D printed objects created using vat polymerization 3D printing processes. The system has a wash reservoir with agitation, solvent cartridges, resin concentration monitoring, and air-drying. The wash stages include preliminary wash with high solvent level and fine wash with lower level. The system prevents solvent splashing, uses agitation, and monitors resin concentration to optimize cleaning efficiency.

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A multi-stage wash system for removing uncured resin from 3D printed objects created using vat polymerization (VP) processes like stereolithography. The system has multiple stages with agitation, resin concentration monitoring, and solvent recirculation. It uses a wash reservoir with an adapter for the 3D printer build platform, and an observation window. The wash solvent is pumped in, agitated, and drained. Resin concentration is monitored to replace solvent when needed. The stages are preliminary wash to remove most resin, then fine wash to remove remaining. The solvent can be recycled between stages. The multi-stage process improves cleaning efficiency over single stage methods.

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Self-cleaning 3D printing device that automatically removes impurities like debris after printing to prevent contamination of future prints. The device has guide rails, support rods, a cleaning frame, and a brush. The rods connect the frame to the guide rails. The frame has a cleaning brush. The rods also connect to suction cups that fix the rods in place. This allows the frame and brush to move up and down the rails to clean the 3D printer bed. The frame has electronics with a probe head and controller. This allows the frame to be remotely operated to initiate cleaning.

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Cleaning device for multi-material 3D printing that integrates the printing platform and cleaning/drying functions to improve accuracy and efficiency compared to separate devices. The cleaning device has a base, printing platform, and rotating cleaning/drying unit. After printing, the cleaning unit is rotated below the platform to clean and dry, then rotated away to allow printing. This fixed platform position prevents movement during printing. The integrated cleaning/drying also has features like ultrasonic cleaning and air drying to prevent contamination between materials.

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Self-leveling ultrasonic cleaning box for multi-material 3D printing that allows switching between different materials without contamination. The cleaning box has ultrasonic cleaning, bubble generation, and air outlet features. It uses ultrasonic cleaning to remove residue, a bubble generator to prevent material mixing, and an air outlet to dry the parts. This ensures materials don't contaminate each other during multi-material 3D printing.

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Self-leveling ultrasonic cleaning box and method for multi-material 3D printing to prevent contamination between different materials during printing. The cleaning box uses ultrasonic cleaning, bubble generation, and air outlet to ensure materials won't contaminate when switching between prints. This involves an ultrasonic generator, bubble generator, self-leveling liquid outlet, and return port. The cleaning method involves submerging the printed part in the box, ultrasonically cleaning it, generating bubbles to dislodge residue, then blowing out the liquid.

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