Additive Manufacturing Pillars with Trapped Non-Solid Substance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current additive manufacturing techniques face challenges in efficiently creating three-dimensional objects with internal pillars, as they often require excessive building material and result in objects with uniform mechanical properties.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for additive manufacturing that involves dispensing and solidifying layers in a configured pattern, with a portion of the layers forming stacks that encompass a non-solid substance trapped between building material pillars oriented perpendicularly to the layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If conventional additive manufacturing techniques are used to create three-dimensional objects, then the objects can be manufactured with complete internal structures, but excessive building material is required and waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the non-essential internal material from the object, creating hollow internal pillars instead of solid structures. This extraction principle directly reduces building material consumption while maintaining the structural framework, resolving the contradiction between material waste and manufacturing ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs porous or hollow internal pillar structures instead of solid material. By creating pillars with internal voids or porous configurations, the design maintains structural support functionality while dramatically reducing the amount of building material required, thus addressing the material waste issue.
2Adaptability or versatility
If uniform internal structure is used in additive manufactured objects, then manufacturing is simpler, but the objects lack tailored mechanical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the internal pillar characteristics (such as hollow vs. solid, different diameters, different spacing) at different locations within the object. This allows specific mechanical properties to be tailored for different regions based on functional requirements, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic variability in the internal pillar structure, where parameters such as pillar diameter, spacing, and hollowness are adjusted throughout the object rather than maintaining a static uniform structure. This dynamic approach enables customized mechanical properties while managing complexity through systematic variation.
3Manufacturing precision
If internal pillars are created with varying sizes and distributions, then tailored mechanical properties are achieved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-planning and digitally modeling the varied pillar configurations before manufacturing. The varying sizes and distributions of internal pillars are designed and programmed in advance, allowing the complex geometry to be systematically fabricated through controlled additive manufacturing processes, thus resolving the contradiction between precision and process 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 reduces the amount of building material required, decreases waste and fabrication costs, and allows for the creation of objects with tailored mechanical properties by varying the size and distribution of the internal pillars.
Implementation Method 1
a building material is dispensed from a dispensing head having a set of nozzles to deposit layers on a supporting structure
Implementation Method 2
Depending on the building material, the layers may then be cured or solidified using a suitable device
Data Source
AI summary
A method of additive manufacturing comprises receiving digital data defining a shape of a three-dimensional object and based on the digital data, sequentially dispensing and solidifying a plurality of layers made of a modeling material and arranged in a configured pattern corresponding to the shape of the object. A portion of the layers forms one or more stacks, each encompassing a non-solid substance trapped between a plurality of building material pillars oriented perpendicularly to the layers.