Additively Manufactured Internal Threads in Amorphous Metal Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Machining amorphous metal alloys is laborious due to their hardness, leading to imprecision in internal thread production, and conventional methods generate wasteful and costly machining byproducts.
Innovation Solution
The use of additive manufacturing methods like selective laser melting (SLM), selective electron beam melting (SEBM), or laser metal deposition (LMD) to produce threaded elements with internal threads from amorphous alloys or precious metals, allowing for layer-by-layer application and selective melting to create complex structures with reduced post-processing needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional machining methods are used to produce internal threads in amorphous metal alloys, then thread precision can be achieved, but the process becomes extremely laborious and time-consuming due to the hardness of the material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical machining methods with additive manufacturing technology to produce internal threads in amorphous metal alloys. The additive manufacturing process builds threads layer by layer through selective melting and solidification, completely avoiding the mechanical cutting operations that are hindered by the material's extreme hardness. This substitution enables efficient production while maintaining thread precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental manufacturing parameter from mechanical removal (machining) to material deposition and phase transformation (additive manufacturing). By controlling the melting and solidification parameters of the amorphous metal alloy during additive manufacturing, precise internal threads can be formed without the laborious machining process, thereby improving productivity while maintaining manufacturing precision.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional machining methods are used to produce internal threads, then threads can be formed, but expensive material waste is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical machining with additive manufacturing to form internal threads. The additive process deposits material only where needed to create the thread structure, eliminating the material removal process inherent in conventional machining. This results in minimal material waste while maintaining the ability to form precise threads in amorphous metal alloys.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufacturing process performs preliminary shaping of the thread structure during the building process itself, rather than requiring subsequent machining operations. The threads are formed directly in their final shape through controlled material deposition, preventing material waste that would otherwise be generated by removing excess material through machining.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additive manufacturing is used to produce threaded elements, then complex internal structures can be created without machining waste, but achieving precise thread geometry becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses additive manufacturing to replace mechanical machining, enabling the creation of complex internal thread structures that would be difficult or impossible to machine. The layer-by-layer construction approach allows for geometric flexibility while maintaining precision through controlled material deposition and phase transformation processes specific to amorphous metal alloys.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the unique properties of amorphous metal alloys during additive manufacturing, controlling melting and solidification parameters to achieve precise thread geometry. The amorphous structure formation during rapid cooling enables fine feature resolution and geometric accuracy that maintains manufacturing precision while allowing complex internal structures to be created.
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 enables the efficient and economical production of threaded elements with precise internal threads, avoiding wasteful machining and accommodating complex designs, while leveraging the excellent mechanical properties of amorphous alloys for high-tech applications.
Implementation Method 1
selective laser melting (SLM)
Implementation Method 2
selective electron beam melting (SEBM)
Implementation Method 3
laser metal deposition (LMD)
Implementation Method 4
Such a disordered structure is usually achieved by rapid cooling of a melt. 'Rapid cooling' means that the atoms or molecules can no longer arrange themselves in a regular pattern during cooling.
Data Source
AI summary
A threaded element comprising or consisting of a metal having an internal thread which is produced by additive manufacturing, and to a method for producing a threaded element comprising or consisting of a metal having an internal thread. The threaded element comprises a body, an opening that defines an inner wall of the body, and a threaded section having a thread. The body comprises a first end and a second end. The opening extends at least partially from the first end toward the second end of the body. The threaded section is formed on the inner wall of the opening, and the inner wall has at least one recess which crosses the threaded section. A surface of the threaded section has a roughness Rz in the range of 5-50 μm, in particular 10-25 μm.