Build-Plate Locating Features for Precise Spinal Implant Machining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inaccurate positioning of build-plates during additive and subtractive manufacturing processes for spinal implants leads to inefficiencies and inconsistencies in the formation of these implants, necessitating improved methods for precise alignment.
Innovation Solution
The use of physical locating features on the build-plate, including recesses, protrusions, and clamping arms, to ensure accurate positioning during both additive and subtractive manufacturing processes, along with mechanisms for measuring and adjusting shifts to maintain alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a build-plate is used to facilitate formation of spinal implant constructs using additive manufacturing processes, then the spinal implant constructs can be formed, but inaccuracies arise in positioning the build-plate that adversely affect the additive manufacturing processes and/or the subtractive manufacturing process
Solution Approach 1:
The build-plate includes pre-formed locating features (protrusions and recesses) that are created before the additive manufacturing process. These features are designed to engage with corresponding features on the additive manufacturing platform and subtractive processing mechanism, establishing accurate positioning relationships in advance before manufacturing begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The locating features on the build-plate serve as intermediary elements that mediate between the additive manufacturing platform and the subtractive processing mechanism. The protrusions on the build-plate engage with recesses in the additive manufacturing platform, while corresponding features on the subtractive processing mechanism use these same protrusions for positioning, thus transferring and maintaining positioning accuracy across different manufacturing stages.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the build-plate is transferred from additive manufacturing to subtractive processing, then both processes can be used, but positioning inaccuracies accumulate between the two processes
Solution Approach 1:
The locating features on the build-plate are designed with multi-functionality: the same protrusions and recesses serve positioning purposes in both the additive manufacturing phase and the subtractive processing phase. This universal positioning system ensures consistency across process transitions without requiring separate positioning mechanisms for each manufacturing stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The locating features provide a feedback mechanism for positioning accuracy. By physically engaging the protrusions with corresponding recesses in both manufacturing platforms, the system continuously maintains and verifies positioning relationships, allowing for real-time correction of any misalignment that might occur during transfer between processes.
Data Source
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AI summary
A build-plate with integrally-formed spinal implant constructs and a method used in forming spinal implant constructs on the build-plate and machining the spinal implant constructs formed on the build-plate to manufacture spinal implants is provided. The spinal implant constructs can be formed via additive manufacturing processes by adding material to an upper surface of the build-plate, and then the spinal implant constructs can be subjected to subtractive manufacturing processes to form the spinal implants.