Additive Manufacturing Build Platform for Reduced Thermal Distortion
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Summary
Problems
Conventional powder bed additive manufacturing requires large support structures for heat dissipation, leading to thermal distortion and lengthy processing times, with inefficient separation and significant material waste due to the need for stress-relieving and machining to remove these structures.
Innovation solutions
A build platform with a sacrificial non-metallic barrier layer and removable anchors allows for controlled heat dissipation and reduced thermal distortion, enabling direct construction and easy separation of near-net shape components without the need for complex support structures, using a powder bed deposition apparatus that selectively applies energy beams to form layers on a removable powder bed working surface.
TRIZ Analysis
Specific contradictions:
General conflict description:
Principle concept:
If large support structures are used for heat dissipation, then thermal distortion is reduced, but device complexity and material waste increase
Why choose this principle:
The patent extracts the heat dissipation function from traditional large support structures and concentrates it into small anchor pins with high thermal conductivity. This removes the complex support structures while maintaining effective heat management through the anchors that are directly coupled to the build plate.
Principle concept:
If large support structures are used for heat dissipation, then thermal distortion is reduced, but device complexity and material waste increase
Why choose this principle:
Instead of using uniform support structures across the entire build plate, the patent applies localized high thermal conductivity anchors at specific positions where heat dissipation is most needed. This provides targeted heat management with minimal material and structural complexity.
Application Domain
Data Source
AI summary:
A build platform with a sacrificial non-metallic barrier layer and removable anchors allows for controlled heat dissipation and reduced thermal distortion, enabling direct construction and easy separation of near-net shape components without the need for complex support structures, using a powder bed deposition apparatus that selectively applies energy beams to form layers on a removable powder bed working surface.
Abstract
A powder bed deposition apparatus comprises a movable build plate, a powder delivery system, an energy beam apparatus capable of selectively steering at least one focused energy beam over successive quantities of metal powder, a non-metallic barrier layer, and an anchor removably secured to the build plate. The non-metallic barrier layer is disposed over a metal upper surface of the build plate. The anchor has a metal bonding surface flush with the non-metallic barrier layer, the non-metallic barrier layer and the anchor defining a removable build assembly with a powder bed working surface.