Additive Manufacturing Active Cooling Fluid Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Additive manufacturing processes, such as 3D printing, face challenges in controlling temperature profiles during the production of metallic shaped bodies, leading to internal stresses, warping, and the need for post-treatment due to inadequate heat dissipation, which restricts production quality and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a sealed installation space with a pressure platform containing fluid channels for a heat transfer fluid, allowing for controlled temperature management by actively cooling or heating the shaped body during construction, using a liquid with high heat capacity and conductivity, integrated into the structure to dissipate heat effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If heat dissipation is not considered during additive manufacturing, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to residual stresses and warping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-heating the build plate and surrounding areas before additive manufacturing begins. This pre-heating prevents thermal shock and reduces residual stresses by establishing a controlled thermal environment in advance, thereby improving dimensional accuracy without requiring complex real-time temperature control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary thermal control system consisting of heated build plates and surrounding heating zones. This intermediary system mediates between the laser melting process and the base structure, controlling heat dissipation rates to prevent warping and residual stresses, thus improving manufacturing precision without direct complex control of the component itself.
2Strength
If cooling rate is increased to improve microstructure, then material properties improve, but heat dissipation becomes more difficult with increasing build height
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing region-specific temperature control during additive manufacturing. Different zones of the build plate and surrounding areas are heated to different temperatures, creating optimized thermal gradients that promote desirable microstructure formation in critical areas while managing overall heat dissipation challenges, especially for taller components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic temperature control where heating zones and temperatures are adjusted during the manufacturing process based on build height and progress. This dynamic approach maintains optimal cooling rates for microstructure development while adapting to the changing thermal characteristics of increasing build height, resolving the contradiction between microstructure quality and heat dissipation.
3Manufacturing precision
If thermal post-treatment is applied to reduce residual stresses, then manufacturing precision improves, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing temperature control measures during the additive manufacturing process itself, rather than requiring subsequent post-treatment. By pre-heating the build plate and controlling thermal gradients during manufacturing, residual stresses are minimized in real-time, achieving high dimensional accuracy without the need for additional thermal post-treatment steps and associated time losses.
4Length of moving object
If build height increases to produce larger components, then component size improves, but heat dissipation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the thermal control system into multiple independent heating zones that can be controlled separately. This allows different regions of the build plate and surrounding areas to be heated to optimal temperatures for their specific positions, enabling effective heat dissipation control even for tall components with varying thermal requirements across different heights and locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic temperature control where heating parameters are continuously adjusted during manufacturing based on build height progression. As components grow taller, the system adapts thermal zones and temperatures to maintain optimal heat dissipation, enabling production of larger components without suffering from deteriorating heat dissipation characteristics.
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
Enables precise temperature control, reducing internal stresses and warping, allowing for higher production speeds and accuracy without the need for thermal post-treatment, while minimizing post-processing efforts and enhancing material properties.
Implementation Method 1
The microstructure properties and residual stress states are, in addition to the properties of the material, significantly influenced by the amount and distribution of heat introduced for melting and the removal of this heat from the molded body by thermal conduction.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a preferably metallic shaped body using an additive manufacturing process with an energy beam, wherein the shaped body is at least partially actively cooled during production. According to the invention, the shaped body, with fluid channels integrally formed in its walls and base plate, is built up layer by layer in its three-dimensional form from a raw material, preferably metallic or containing metals, using 3D printing. These fluid channels are already being supplied with a temperature-controlled heat transfer fluid during production. This makes it possible to dissipate the heat input from the energy beam instantaneously, thereby improving the microstructure of the shaped body and reducing residual stresses. It may also be possible to at least partially fill the build chamber in which the shaped body is built up layer by layer with the heat transfer fluid.to flow through.