3D Laminating Apparatus Multi-Chamber Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatuses face challenges in shortening stop times due to planning, maintenance, and material replacement processes.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus with multiple shaping chambers, material suppliers, and a shared light beam irradiator, where the controller coordinates material supply and light beam irradiation across chambers to alternate processes, ensuring continuous operation and reducing downtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single shaping chamber is used for three-dimensional laminating and shaping, then the apparatus structure is simple, but the stop time for planning, maintenance, and material replacement causes production downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus is divided into multiple shaping chambers (first shaping chamber and second shaping chamber) that can operate independently and simultaneously. This segmentation allows one chamber to perform planning or maintenance while another chamber continues shaping operations, thereby reducing overall stop time without significantly increasing structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
By having multiple shaping chambers that can operate in parallel, the system ensures continuous useful action. While one chamber is stopped for planning, maintenance, or material replacement, another chamber continues the shaping process, eliminating idle time and maintaining continuous production flow
2Productivity
If multiple shaping chambers are used to reduce stop time, then productivity increases, but the apparatus complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple shaping chambers share common components including a single light beam irradiator, control unit, and material storage system. This merging of resources allows the system to achieve increased productivity through parallel processing while minimizing the increase in overall apparatus complexity and cost by avoiding duplication of expensive components
Solution Approach 2:
The light beam irradiator and other components are designed to serve multiple shaping chambers universally. The light beam irradiator can be moved between chambers to perform irradiation in either chamber, and the material storage system can supply materials to multiple chambers, allowing each component to perform multiple functions across different chambers
3Adaptability or versatility
If a light beam irradiator is moved between shaping chambers, then component utilization improves and cost decreases, but the coordination complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit receives feedback information about the state of each shaping chamber, the position of the light beam irradiator, and material supply status. Based on this feedback, the control unit dynamically coordinates the movement and operation of the light beam irradiator between chambers, optimizing component utilization while managing coordination complexity through intelligent control algorithms
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively shortens the overall apparatus downtime by allowing simultaneous or alternating operations in different chambers, optimizing the use of expensive components like the light beam irradiator and enabling efficient shaping of larger or varied objects.
Implementation Method 1
at least one light beam irradiator that irradiates the material with a light beam
Data Source
AI summary
The stop time of a whole apparatus caused by planning of shaping, maintenance, replacement of a material, or the like is shortened. A three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a plurality of shaping chambers, at least one material supplier that supplies a material of a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object onto a shaping table in each of the shaping chambers, at least one light beam irradiator that irradiates the material with a light beam, and a controller that controls the material supplier and the light beam irradiator. If the material supplier supplies the material onto one of the shaping tables, the controller controls the light beam irradiator to perform irradiation of the light beam onto the other one of the shaping tables.