Additive Manufacturing Component Repositioning for Surface Finish
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing powder bed-based 3D printing methods face issues with surface roughness and dimensional inaccuracies due to powder residues and contour elevations caused by thermal conductivity differences between the component and the powder bed, leading to potential collisions and process termination.
Innovation Solution
The method involves moving the partially created component in a direction different from the lowering direction, allowing for repositioning or rotation relative to the powder bed, and using a component carrier that can be raised or rotated to adjust the component's position and reduce powder adhesion, along with suctioning excess powder to create a trough-shaped depression around the component.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the component is stationary during powder bed application, then the manufacturing process is simple, but powder residues and contour elevations cause surface roughness and dimensional inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The component is made dynamically positionable during the manufacturing process through a component carrier that can move the component in directions different from the build platform lowering direction. This dynamic positioning allows the component to be repositioned relative to the powder bed application path, preventing powder residues and contour elevations from forming on critical surfaces, thereby resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and device complexity.
2Reliability
If the build platform is lowered layer by layer, then the component is built incrementally, but contour elevations may cause collisions with the application device
Solution Approach 1:
Before each powder bed application, the component carrier performs preliminary actions to reposition the component to an optimal location that avoids collision with the application device. This preliminary positioning action ensures that contour elevations on the component will not interfere with the application device's path, maintaining both process reliability and ease of operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If the component remains in one position, then the setup is straightforward, but thermal conductivity differences cause powder adhesion issues
Solution Approach 1:
The component carrier enables different regions of the component to experience different thermal environments by repositioning the component during manufacturing. This allows areas prone to powder adhesion due to thermal conductivity differences to be moved to locations with more favorable thermal characteristics, improving dimensional accuracy while managing the complexity through a focused movement capability.
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 reduces surface roughness and dimensional inaccuracies by minimizing powder adhesion and contour elevations, preventing collisions, and enhancing fusion quality, resulting in improved surface finish and process reliability.
Implementation Method 1
the powder material of the powder bed layer, for producing a layer of the component, is fused by way of an energy beam
Implementation Method 2
the powder material bonds to itself and to layers present beneath the layer to be produced
Implementation Method 3
at least one suction device is provided, by way of which, before creating the powder bed layer, excess powder can be suctioned at least out of the powder bed layer
Data Source
AI summary
In a device and a method for additive layer manufacturing of at least one component, in a multiply recurring manner, a powder bed layer made of a fusible powder material is generated above a build platform of a build container, and the powder material of the powder bed layer, for producing a layer of the component, is fused by way of an energy beam in a cross-sectional surface representing the component in the layer to be produced, wherein the powder material bonds to itself and to layers present beneath the layer to be produced, and the build platform is lowered in the build container after each layer that is manufactured, wherein the partially created component is moved multiple times, in a direction different from the lowering direction.