Abstract
This disclosure describes a safety mechanism to automatically deactivate heating elements of a 3D printer in response to detecting thermal runaway conditions. A physical switch is provided in the path of the mechanical axis of movement of a moving part of the 3D printer, such as an extruder. The physical switch is positioned such that it is not activated (pressed) during the normal operation of the 3D printer, but is activated (e.g., physically pressed) by movement of the motors beyond their normal range of motion. If it is determined that a potentially unsafe condition has occurred, such as the temperature at a monitored location in the printer exceeds a predetermined threshold, an instruction is provided to the motors to cause motion beyond the normal operating range such that the switch is moved to its off position. This leads to power being shut off to the heating elements and/or to the entire printer.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
n/a, "Electro-Mechanical Safety Mechanism for Additive Manufacturing Machines", Technical Disclosure Commons, (September 13, 2024)
https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/7353