Automated additive manufacturing process for self-similar structures

Abstract

Technical field of the invention:The technique falls within the field of additive manufacturing, a newly established technology. This technique involves printing 3D parts based on a digital STL file containing an image of the part in question. Currently, 3D printing is being expanded for use in the manufacture of concrete walls and parts, leading to the 3D construction of houses and buildings.The technical problem solved:The technical problem solved is the automation of the manufacture of specially self-similar parts, i.e., parts composed of similar sub-parts with identical repetition, such as car radiators, mechanical filters, bracelets, mosaics, etc. To do this, before generating the file on the computer, our technique studies the number of repetitions of the small mother cell as well as the desired diameter of the small cell, the volume, and the total weight. The algorithm then automatically launches the generation of the large part based on the number of repetitions. Our algorithm takes the small cell and repeats it as many times as requested by the manufacturer (1,000, 100,000, 1,000,000 times, etc.) to finally produce the requested part from a digital file that will be sent for 3D printing.In conclusion, the main problems solved are:1.  Automation of the manufacture of complex structural parts.2. Precision and finish in the similarity of mini component cells.3. Ability to control the diameter and total desired volume by simply specifying the number of repetitions required.4. Manufacturing time is significantly minimized, especially for very miniature parts with highly complex repetitive features.