AR-Assisted Sandblasting with Reflective Protrusions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current additive manufacturing processes, such as 3D printing, face challenges in efficiently removing excess polymer substrates during the sandblasting stage, often resulting in operator error and defective products due to the reliance on skill-based manual removal.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of augmented reality (AR) guided sandblasting using reflective ray-like protrusions embedded in the 3D objects, which are detectable by AR hardware, providing a virtual overlay to assist operators in accurately removing excess substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual sand blasting is performed based on operator skill, then the process is simple to implement, but the manufacturing precision and reliability deteriorate due to operator error and difficulty in judging excess substrate removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by embedding reflective protrusions in the 3D object model before manufacturing. These protrusions serve as pre-planned visual guides that indicate exactly where excess substrate should be removed. The AR system then displays these pre-calculated removal zones to the operator during sand blasting, eliminating the need for operator judgment and ensuring precise removal boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating a virtual overlay that replicates the physical 3D object in the AR display. This virtual copy includes embedded guidance information (reflective protrusions) that mirrors the actual object's geometry. The operator views this accurate virtual representation through AR glasses, allowing precise alignment of sand blasting operations with the intended design boundaries without needing to mentally visualize the final product shape.
2Manufacturing precision
If AR guidance system with reflective protrusions is implemented, then manufacturing precision and scrap rate reduction improve, but device complexity increases due to additional AR hardware and processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/judgment-based sand blasting process with an optical/information-based system. Instead of relying on operator skill and physical measurement, the system uses AR optical displays to present guidance information. The reflective protrusions in the 3D model generate visual cues that are optically detected and displayed, substituting mechanical judgment with optical information processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary AR guidance system between the 3D object model and the sand blasting operation. The reflective protrusions act as intermediaries that carry geometric information from the digital model to the physical object. The AR glasses serve as an intermediary display device that translates this information into visual guidance for the operator, bridging the gap between digital design and physical manufacturing.
3Loss of information
If reflective protrusions are embedded in 3D object model, then information about sand blasting areas is accurately provided, but the additive manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sand blasting guidance information with the 3D object model itself by embedding reflective protrusions directly into the model geometry. Instead of creating separate guidance documents or markings, the removal zone information is combined with the product design in a single integrated model. This allows the same manufacturing process to produce both the final product and its own removal guidance simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by adding reflective protrusions only in specific locations where sand blasting guidance is needed, rather than uniformly modifying the entire 3D model. These localized features are strategically placed to provide directional and boundary information exactly where required for excess substrate removal, maintaining model simplicity while delivering precise guidance information at critical locations.
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 significantly reduces scrap rates and improves production efficiency by providing precise guidance for sandblasting, ensuring accurate removal of excess polymer and minimizing defects.
Implementation Method 1
The AR hardware determines a virtual object to be presented in a field of view, a position in the field of view, and a perspective of the virtual object in the field of view based on position information from the reflective ray-like protrusions
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods are disclosed to provide a guide for sand blasting a fiber-reinforced object. The proposed guide consist of three-dimensional (3D) features that will result in reflective ray-like protrusions that can be detected and displayed by Augmented Reality (AR) hardware including a head mounted display. The AR hardware determines a virtual object to be presented in a field of view, a position in the field of view, and a perspective of the virtual object in the field of view based on position information from the reflective ray-like protrusions. At least a portion of the sand blasting area is observable through the display and lens when the display is presenting the rendered virtual object.