Additive Manufacturing Heated Solution Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional additive manufacturing systems face challenges in managing heat dissipation as parts grow thicker, leading to temperature increases and difficulties in applying subsequent material layers, especially when using heavy or dense powdered materials, and require extensive cooling periods.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a heated solution with a volatile component that evaporates to cool the surface, allowing a heat source to melt meltable powdered material particles, enabling efficient heat management and simultaneous deposition of multiple material types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional SLS or DMLS systems use a single type of powder per part with a powder bed, then the system can deposit material layers, but the part temperature increases as layers are added and extensive cooling periods are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the physical state of the material from solid powder to liquid solution containing suspended particles. This parameter change allows the material to be deposited as a liquid that can be rapidly cooled through evaporation, preventing temperature buildup and eliminating extensive cooling periods between layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes phase transitions of the volatile component in the liquid solution. The volatile component evaporates during or after deposition, providing rapid cooling of the deposited material. This phase transition from liquid to gas removes excess heat without requiring extended cooling periods, maintaining manufacturing speed while controlling temperature.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional systems fill the powder bed with heavy or dense powdered material, then the powder bed can support material deposition, but the powder bed requires significant weight support
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the physical state of the material from solid powder to liquid solution containing suspended particles. This parameter change eliminates the need for a heavy powder bed, as the liquid solution can be deposited directly onto the substrate without requiring significant structural support.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional systems use a single type of powder per part, then the system is simpler to operate, but the ability to create parts with tailored physical properties is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a single liquid deposition system that can accommodate multiple types of suspended particles with different properties. This multi-functional approach allows different materials to be deposited using the same liquid carrier mechanism, enabling parts with tailored physical properties without significantly increasing system complexity.
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 maintains a consistent part temperature, allows for faster layer formation, and enables the creation of parts with tailored physical properties by using multiple materials, reducing the need for extensive cooling and minimizing waste heat issues.
Implementation Method 1
the heated solution is at least about to begin boiling... after the volatile component has at least substantially evaporated from the mixture
Implementation Method 2
The volatile component operates to cool a previously formed material layer before heating of the meltable powdered material particles takes place
Implementation Method 3
A heat source is included which is responsive to the processor for generating heat sufficient to melt the meltable powdered material particles
Implementation Method 4
the heat delivered to melt the material is removed by conduction to the base substrate
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a system for manufacturing a part via an additive manufacturing process. The system uses a reservoir for containing a heated solution forming a mixture of a volatile component and meltable powdered material particles, the heated solution being heated to a point where the heated solution is at least about to begin boiling. A nozzle associated with the reservoir channels a quantity of the heated solution onto at least one of a substrate or a previously formed material layer. A processor controls a flow of the heated solution through the nozzle onto at least one of the substrate or the previously formed material layer. A heat source responsive to the processor generates heat to melt the powdered material particles. The heat source is controlled to melt the powdered material particles after the volatile component has at least substantially evaporated from the mixture. The volatile component cools a previously formed material layer before heating of the powdered material particles takes place, and the heating of the particles fuses the particles into a single structural layer, thus forming the part exclusively from the particles.