Additive Manufacturing Bead Positioning for Horizontal Deposit Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing additive manufacturing methods face challenges in stabilizing deposits extending horizontally, as they tend to collapse when the inclination of deposited beads increases, making it difficult to achieve significant horizontal extension.

Innovation Solution

An additive manufacturing apparatus that includes a feeding unit, an irradiation unit, and a control unit, with an arithmetic unit calculating parameters to control the stacking of beads, allowing a portion of the second bead to protrude from the first bead in the set direction, thereby stabilizing the deposit and enabling larger horizontal extension.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of moving object

If the inclination of the deposit increases to extend horizontally by a larger amount, then the horizontal extension is improved, but the deposit becomes unstable and collapses

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehorizontal extension of depositVSAvoidstability of deposit
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The arithmetic unit calculates and determines the optimal feeding position for the second bead before deposition, based on the width of the first bead and laser beam diameter. This preliminary calculation ensures the second bead is positioned to protrude appropriately, creating inherent stability before the actual deposition occurs, thus preventing collapse while achieving horizontal extension.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the feeding position parameter dynamically - specifically, the feeding position for the second bead is set to be shifted from the first bead's feeding position by a calculated interval. This parameter change allows the second bead to protrude and provide stability, resolving the contradiction between horizontal extension and deposit stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Stability of the object's composition

If the feeding position is shifted to allow the second bead to protrude from the first bead, then the deposit stability is improved, but the manufacturing precision of bead positioning becomes more challenging

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability of depositVSAvoidbead positioning precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The arithmetic unit uses feedback from the first bead's actual width and the laser beam diameter to calculate the precise feeding position for the second bead. This feedback mechanism ensures that even though the feeding position is shifted to create protrusion, the positioning remains precise and controlled, maintaining manufacturing precision while achieving stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The optimal feeding position for the second bead is calculated in advance based on measured parameters from the first bead. This preliminary calculation of the shift interval ensures that the protrusion creates stability without compromising positioning precision, as the shift amount is precisely determined before deposition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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

The apparatus achieves stable building of deposits extending horizontally by a large amount, preventing collapse and ensuring the deposit's structural integrity.

Implementation Method 1

an irradiation unit to irradiate the feeding position with a laser beam that melts the build material

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaser heating: Laser

Data Source

PatentEP3560650B1Additive manufacturing apparatus and additive manufacturing method
Publication Date: 2020.05.13 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP3560650B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3560650B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3560650B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

An additive manufacturing apparatus (1) includes: an irradiation unit that irradiates a feeding position with a laser beam that melts a build material; a numerical control device (3) that is a control unit that performs control for building a deposit by stacking beads on a substrate (2); and an arithmetic device (4) that is an arithmetic unit that executes an arithmetic process of computing parameters for the control unit to perform the control unit. The beads, which are two beads stacked on each other, are a first bead and a second bead stacked on the first bead. The first bead is formed earlier than the second bead. The feeding position is a first position in formation of the first bead. The feeding position is a second position in formation of the second bead. On a basis of a width of the first bead and a diameter of the laser beam, the arithmetic unit calculates an interval between the first position and the second position in a set direction that is a direction of the width of the first bead. The control unit performs control for setting the second position to a position shifted from the first position in the set direction by the interval, so as to allow a part of the second bead to protrude from the first bead in the set direction.