Additive Manufacturing Status Monitoring for Quality and Output
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing additive manufacturing systems face challenges in achieving high-quality metal object production while maintaining a large manufacturing output, as they struggle to ensure consistent quality and efficient production scheduling.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a status acquisition device and control unit that continuously monitor and adjust production parameters, such as calibration status, expected service time, and powdered material quality, to delay or interrupt production if quality standards are not met, allowing for real-time control and allocation of tasks across multiple apparatuses to optimize output and quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If additive manufacturing is used to produce metal objects, then manufacturing flexibility and speed are improved, but manufacturing output and quality consistency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where status information about the apparatus (calibration status, service time, material quality) is continuously acquired and used to control production allocation. The control unit receives status information and adjusts production decisions in real-time, ensuring that objects are only produced when quality standards are met, thus maintaining quality consistency while maximizing output.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by acquiring status information about calibration, service requirements, and material quality before allocating production tasks. This allows the control unit to proactively determine whether the apparatus is suitable for production, preventing quality issues before they occur and ensuring consistent output quality.
2Productivity
If production is continuously operated to maximize output, then productivity is improved, but quality control and maintenance timing deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously receives status information including calibration status and expected service time, using this feedback to make intelligent production allocation decisions. When status indicators suggest potential quality issues or maintenance needs, the system automatically adjusts production allocation, ensuring reliability is maintained while maximizing overall output.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts production allocation based on real-time status information. Rather than operating continuously at fixed capacity, the control unit adapts production levels and timing based on calibration status, service requirements, and material quality, optimizing the balance between productivity and reliability.
3Manufacturing precision
If status monitoring is implemented to improve quality control, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it manages production allocation, receives and processes status information, determines quality suitability, and coordinates with multiple apparatuses. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise be separate systems into a single integrated unit, improving quality control without proportionally increasing overall system 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 solution enables the production of high-quality objects while maximizing manufacturing output by ensuring that only objects meeting quality standards are produced, reducing downtime, and efficiently utilizing available production time across multiple apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
a process chamber for receiving a bath of powdered material which can be solidified by exposure to electromagnetic radiation; a support for positioning the object in relation to a surface level of the bath of powdered material; a solidifying device arranged for emitting a beam of electromagnetic radiation on the surface level for solidifying a selective part of said powdered material
Implementation Method 2
A laser comprised in the computer controlled additive manufacturing apparatus follows these settings and vectors to solidify successive layers of material to build the 3D object from a series of cross sections. These layers, which correspond to the virtual cross sections from the CAD model, are during this process joined or fused at the same time to create the final 3D object.
Data Source
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AI summary
System comprising an apparatus for producing an object by means of additive manufacturing, the apparatus comprising: - a process chamber for receiving a bath of powdered material; - a support for positioning the object in relation to a surface level of the bath of powdered material; - a solidifying device arranged for solidifying a selective part of said powdered material; the system further comprising: - a status acquisition device arranged for acquiring information related to a status of said apparatus, said information comprising at least one of a calibration status of said apparatus and an expected time to service of said apparatus,; and - a control unit that is arranged for receiving said acquired information related to said status of said apparatus and further is arranged for at least one of: - scheduling a calibration stop and/or a calibration downtime taking into account said determined calibration status and - scheduling a service stop and/or a service downtime taking into account said determined expected time to service.