Additive Manufacturing Shared Components Multi-Station
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing additive manufacturing processes have limited physical capacity and require multiple components, making it difficult to scale up production economically.
Innovation Solution
An additive manufacturing apparatus and method where one or more components are shared by multiple build stations, including a transparent resin support, a material depositor, and a radiant energy apparatus, allowing for simultaneous operation of multiple build stations with shared resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple separate additive manufacturing machines are used to increase production capacity, then productivity increases, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple build stations into a single integrated machine, allowing them to share common components such as the resin support, material depositor, and radiant energy apparatus. This merging approach increases production capacity while reducing overall system complexity and cost compared to using multiple separate machines.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional machine where a single set of core components serves multiple build stations simultaneously. The shared resin support, material depositor, and radiant energy apparatus perform the same functions for each build station, eliminating redundancy and reducing the total number of components needed.
2Productivity
If multiple separate additive manufacturing machines are used to scale up production, then production capacity increases, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple build stations into one machine with shared components, reducing the total number of duplicate parts needed. This approach lowers manufacturing cost while maintaining increased production capacity, as expensive components like the radiant energy apparatus and resin support are shared across multiple build stations rather than replicated.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universal components that serve multiple build stations, eliminating the need to manufacture separate instances of each component for each station. This multi-functionality reduces overall manufacturing cost while achieving the desired scale-up in production capacity.
3Device complexity
If a single build station is used, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the build process into multiple independent build stations that operate simultaneously within a single machine. Each build station can work on different components or layers independently, increasing production rate while maintaining relative system simplicity through the use of shared common components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single build station operating in one dimension of production to multiple build stations operating in parallel, effectively adding a temporal and spatial dimension to the manufacturing process. This increases productivity without proportionally increasing system complexity, as the additional stations share common 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 increases production rate and reduces machine complexity and cost by enabling multiple layers to be formed simultaneously, thereby overcoming the limitations of single-station machines.
Implementation Method 1
at least one radiant energy apparatus positioned opposite to the stage, and operable to generate and project radiant energy in a predetermined pattern
Implementation Method 2
selectively curing the resin on the build surface using an application of radiant energy in a specific pattern
Implementation Method 3
a resin support which has at least a portion which is transparent, wherein the resin support defines a build surface
Implementation Method 4
one or more actuators operable to manipulate a relative position of the stage and the build surface
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
An additive manufacturing machine (10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600) includes: a resin support (22, 122, 222, 322, 422, 522, 622) which has at least a portion which is transparent, wherein the resin support (22, 122, 222, 322, 422, 522, 622) defines a build surface (26); a material depositor (30) operable to deposit a resin which is radiant-energy-curable onto the build surface (26); at least two build stations (35), each build station (35) including: a stage (14) positioned adjacent the build zone and configured to hold a stacked arrangement of one or more cured layers of the resin; one or more actuators operable to manipulate a relative position of the stage (14) and the build surface (26); and at least one radiant energy apparatus (16, 116) positioned opposite to the stage (14), and operable to generate and project radiant energy in a predetermined pattern.