Additive Manufacturing Disguise via Sacrificial Artifacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Additive manufacturing processes expose proprietary design information and sensitive data during the fabrication of three-dimensional objects, as the configuration of the manufacturing hardware can be reverse-engineered, revealing engineering steps or allowing unauthorized individuals to deduce the object's characteristics.
Innovation Solution
The method involves generating a model with both the item and a sacrificial artifact, using printing fluids of differing qualities to disguise physical characteristics such as quantity, size, or color, where the sacrificial artifact is fabricated simultaneously with the item but does not fuse or bind to it, maintaining manufacturing efficiency and minimizing costs by using recyclable materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If additive manufacturing is used to fabricate three-dimensional objects, then production efficiency and customization capability are improved, but proprietary design information and sensitive data are exposed during the manufacturing process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates sacrificial artifacts that are copies or replicas of the actual items being manufactured. These sacrificial copies are printed simultaneously with the real items using the same additive manufacturing process, thereby consuming the same manufacturing resources and time without revealing sensitive design information about the actual products.
Solution Approach 2:
The sacrificial artifacts are designed as disposable objects that serve their protective function temporarily during manufacturing and then are removed or discarded. They are printed using recyclable materials and do not need to be permanent, allowing for cost-effective implementation while maintaining security during the critical manufacturing phase.
2Loss of information
If sacrificial artifacts are fabricated simultaneously with the item using different printing fluids, then physical characteristics are disguised and proprietary information is protected, but device complexity and process difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the manufacturing of sacrificial artifacts and actual items into a single additive manufacturing process run. Both types of objects are printed simultaneously in the same build batch using the same hardware configuration, which minimizes the additional complexity introduced by the security measure while maximizing the protective benefit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes changes in printing fluid parameters (different qualities of printing fluids) to create distinguishable yet protective sacrificial artifacts. By varying fluid properties such as color, viscosity, or chemical composition, the system can create artifacts that appear different from or similar to the actual items depending on the security requirements, without fundamentally changing the manufacturing process.
3Loss of information
If sacrificial artifacts are used to disguise physical characteristics, then proprietary information is obscured, but additional manufacturing time and cost are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The sacrificial artifacts are prepared and positioned in the build model before the actual manufacturing process begins. The digital model is modified in advance to include the sacrificial objects alongside the real items, so that when manufacturing starts, everything is produced simultaneously without requiring additional setup time or extending the manufacturing cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufacturing system performs multiple functions simultaneously: it manufactures the actual items while also producing sacrificial artifacts for security purposes. This multi-functionality is achieved within the same process parameters and time frame, making the security measure essentially cost-neutral in terms of additional manufacturing time and resources.
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 obscures the exact shape and dimensions of the item being fabricated during the process, protecting proprietary information while maintaining production efficiency and minimizing additional costs, as the sacrificial artifacts do not interfere with the final product and can be recycled.
Implementation Method 1
The printing fluid may contain a fusing agent that causes the powder to fuse under certain conditions, such as exposure to energy
Data Source
AI summary
In an example, a method is described that includes generating a model for fabricating an item via an additive manufacturing process. The model includes a first region defining the item and a second region defining a sacrificial artifact whose presence disguises a physical characteristic of the item. The item and the sacrificial artifact are then fabricated in a common build batch via the additive manufacturing process.