Additive Shaft Component Manufacturing with Disposable Molds
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing shaft components for sewer networks are costly, time-consuming, and require significant manual labor, with individually made components often needing to be discarded or rebuilt due to planning adjustments, and the high cost of injection molding tools makes mass production uneconomical.
Innovation Solution
The use of additive manufacturing with thermoplastic or thermoset materials applied in layers to create shaft components with channels, edges, and connections on a base element, allowing for economical and quick production with optimal material use, adaptable geometry, and cohesive connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If injection molding or thermoforming tools are used to manufacture shaft components, then manufacturing precision and production speed are improved, but investment costs and production costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses disposable molds made from flexible materials like silicone rubber that can be easily discarded after a few uses. These molds are much cheaper than permanent injection molding tools and can be abandoned when no longer needed, eliminating the need for expensive tooling investments while maintaining production capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material state parameters by using thermoplastic materials that can be melted and reformed. This allows the same material to be processed in different states (solid, molten) to enable both rapid production and low-cost molding without requiring expensive permanent tooling
2Adaptability or versatility
If individually manufactured shaft components are produced according to specific specifications, then adaptability to different sewer network requirements is improved, but manufacturing time and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces flexibility and adjustability into the manufacturing process by using soft molds that can be easily modified and reconfigured. This allows the same basic mold system to adapt to different shaft component specifications without requiring completely new tooling, enabling both customization and rapid production
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal mold system that can produce different shaft component variants. The soft molds are designed to accommodate various geometries and specifications, allowing one mold system to serve multiple functions and produce different customized components efficiently
3Strength
If deep-drawn shells are welded into rings to manufacture shaft components, then structural strength is improved, but manufacturing complexity and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple manufacturing operations into a single additive printing process. Instead of separately creating shells, welding them into rings, and assembling components, the entire shaft component is built in one continuous printing process, eliminating welding steps and reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials with reinforcing agents (such as fibers or particles) mixed into the thermoplastic material. This allows the printed component to achieve high structural strength without requiring complex welding or assembly of multiple parts, as the reinforcement is integrated throughout the material matrix
4Loss of time
If prefabricated shaft components are manufactured in advance, then installation time is reduced, but material waste increases when adjustments are needed due to ground obstacles or pipe position deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables dynamic adaptation during manufacturing by allowing the printing process to be modified in real-time based on actual site conditions. If ground obstacles or pipe position deviations are encountered, the component geometry can be adjusted during printing without discarding the component, thus eliminating material waste while maintaining quick installation
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 method enables the rapid, cost-effective production of shaft components that can be precisely manufactured according to specifications, reducing waste and installation time, and allows for efficient use of materials, making it suitable for complex sewer network designs.
Implementation Method 1
a component (100), in particular a shaft component, with at least one channel (120), at least one rim (110), and at least two connections (130) by means of additive manufacturing, wherein the additive manufacturing takes place on a base element (10)
Implementation Method 2
the channel (120), the rim (110) and the at least two connections (130) are at least partially produced by layer-by-layer application of the polymer in the molten state
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a component, in particular a shaft component (100) with at least one channel, at least one rim, and at least two connections, by means of additive manufacturing, wherein the additive manufacturing takes place on a base element which forms a flat support surface for the additive manufacturing, wherein a polymer, preferably a first thermoplastic or a thermoset, is used as the material (4) for the component, wherein the channel, the rim, and the at least two connections are at least partially produced by layer-by-layer application of the polymer in the molten state, wherein at least one connecting section is materially bonded to the rim. Finally, the invention also relates to a shaft and a fluid conveying, receiving, and storage system with at least one shaft.