Additive Manufacturing Material Replenishment System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional additive manufacturing apparatuses require complex and costly configurations to collect and reuse excess material, with high maintenance needs due to the need for multiple transporters and labor-intensive cleaning processes.
Innovation Solution
An additive manufacturing apparatus with a simplified configuration that uses a single transporter to convey excess material to a sieve positioned above the chamber, allowing for efficient removal of impurities and reuse of the material, reducing costs and maintenance through a more streamlined material replenishment process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If a conventional additive manufacturing apparatus uses multiple transporters to convey material from the chamber to the sieve and then to the material supply unit, then the material can be collected and reused, but the device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the material collection and conveyance functions into a single integrated transporter system. The transporter has a material collection unit that directly receives excess material from the chamber and conveys it to the sieve, eliminating the need for separate transport mechanisms. This merging of functions reduces device complexity while maintaining material reuse capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The transporter is designed as a multi-functional device that performs both material collection from the chamber and conveyance to the sieve. By making the transporter universal in its function, the system eliminates the need for specialized separate transporters for each step, thereby reducing overall device complexity and cost.
2Productivity
If a conventional apparatus uses multiple transporters and complex material conveyance routes, then material can be replenished, but maintenance and cleaning become laborious
Solution Approach 1:
The sieve is extracted from the material supply unit and positioned separately in the material conveyance route between the transporter and the material supply unit. This extraction allows the sieve to be easily accessed, removed, and cleaned independently without disassembling the entire material supply system, significantly reducing maintenance labor.
Solution Approach 2:
The material conveyance system is segmented into distinct functional modules: the transporter, the sieve, and the material supply unit. This segmentation allows each component to be independently maintained and cleaned, with the sieve being easily removable for cleaning without affecting other parts of the system.
3Ease of manufacture
If the sieve is positioned below the transporter, then material can be sieved after transport, but the conveyance route becomes more complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of positioning the sieve below the transporter as in conventional systems, the patent inverts this arrangement by positioning the sieve above the chamber and in the conveyance route between the transporter and the material supply unit. This inverted positioning simplifies the conveyance route and reduces device complexity while maintaining effective material sieving functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a chamber, a material layer former, an inert gas supplier, and a material supply unit. The material supply unit includes a material tank, a transporter, and a sieve. The material tank stores material. The transporter transports the material discharged from the chamber and the material tank to the highest level of a conveyance route of the material. The sieve is provided below the transporter and above the chamber, removes impurities from the material sent from the transporter and then discharge the material downward to replenish the material layer former with the material.