Boundary Object Shells for Dense Additive Manufacturing Layouts
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Solution Overview
Problem
In additive manufacturing, densely packing objects in a common build process can lead to reduced object quality due to thermal diffusion and interference between objects, requiring careful spacing to maintain quality specifications, which is complex and resource-intensive, and existing methods either leave space unused or do not provide optimal packing density.
Innovation Solution
A method to determine a manufacturing boundary object shell around each object based on property diffusion models, such as thermal or color diffusion, to define a variable thickness boundary that prevents overlap and ensures optimal packing without compromising object quality, using a computer-implemented process to analyze object model data and generate shells for efficient placement within the fabrication chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If objects are densely packed in a common build process, then productivity increases, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to thermal diffusion and interference between objects
Solution Approach 1:
The fabrication chamber volume is segmented into multiple manufacturing boundary shells, each enclosing a specific object. These shells act as virtual partitions that prevent thermal diffusion and property interference between objects, allowing dense packing while maintaining quality specifications for each individual object.
Solution Approach 2:
Manufacturing boundary shells serve as intermediary structures between objects in the fabrication chamber. These shells mediate the thermal and property diffusion processes by containing them within specific object regions, preventing adverse interactions between neighboring objects while enabling increased object density.
2Manufacturing precision
If spacing between objects is increased to maintain quality, then manufacturing precision is preserved, but productivity decreases due to reduced object density
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing boundary shells are determined dynamically based on property diffusion models rather than using fixed spacing. This allows the system to adapt the boundary positions to the specific thermal and property diffusion characteristics of each object, maximizing object density while maintaining quality through scientifically-determined optimal spacing.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform spacing is used between objects, then ease of manufacture is improved, but volume utilization deteriorates due to unused space
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniform spacing, the manufacturing boundary shells are determined locally for each object based on its specific property diffusion characteristics. This allows different spacing distances for different objects, optimizing the utilization of fabrication chamber volume while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through automated boundary determination.
4Use of energy by moving object
If property diffusion is allowed to spread freely, then energy efficiency is improved through thermal sharing, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to interference between objects
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful aspect of property diffusion (interference between objects) is extracted and contained within individual manufacturing boundary shells. This allows the beneficial thermal effects within each object to be maintained while preventing adverse thermal sharing and interference between different objects, preserving both energy efficiency and manufacturing precision.
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 allows for increased object density in the fabrication chamber while maintaining object quality by determining optimal spacing and placement, ensuring that the thermal or other property effects of one object do not adversely affect neighboring objects, thus improving throughput and energy efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
thermal diffusion and interference between objects
Implementation Method 2
heating the layers of build material to cause melting in selected regions
Implementation Method 3
property diffusion models, such as thermal or color diffusion
Data Source
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AI summary
In an example, a method includes receiving, at a processor, object model data representing at least a portion of an object to be generated by an additive manufacturing apparatus by fusing build material. Using a processor and from the object model data, a property diffusion model for the object in object generation may be determined. Using a processor and based on the property diffusion model, a manufacturing boundary object shell around the object and encompassing an external volume may be determined. The shell may have a variable thickness determined so as to include build material for which, in generation of the object, the property modelled in the property diffusion model has a value which is predicted to conform to a predetermined parameter.