Additive Manufacturing Cavity Ceiling Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Additive manufacturing processes face limitations in producing cavities with large overhang angles, leading to increased volume due to the need for vaulted ceilings, which are not feasible in volume-constrained environments, and support structures like columns cannot be removed in semi-closed cavities.
Innovation Solution
A method involving defining contiguous ceiling portions with central and peripheral areas, using facets to create capitals and supports, such as star-sectioned columns and ribs, to minimize the volume occupied by permanent supports during additive manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If additive manufacturing is used to create cavities with large overhang angles, then the cavity volume increases due to vaulted ceilings, but the manufacturing process becomes feasible
Solution Approach 1:
The ceiling is divided into multiple facets arranged in a polyhedral structure, where each facet has an overhang angle within the permissible range. This segmentation allows the ceiling to achieve a vaulted shape compatible with additive manufacturing constraints while maintaining the overall cavity volume within acceptable limits.
Solution Approach 2:
The ceiling is designed with a polyhedral vaulted shape that approximates a curved surface. This curvature distributes the overhang angles across multiple facets, ensuring each individual facet remains within the maximum permissible overhang angle while collectively forming the required vaulted ceiling geometry.
2Shape
If columns are added to support a flat ceiling in semi-closed cavities, then the ceiling can be flat, but the columns occupy significant volume and cannot be removed
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into multiple ribs that radiate from a central capital. Each rib is a thin-walled structure that provides necessary support while minimizing the volume occupied by supports. The segmented rib structure distributes the load more efficiently than a single thick column.
Solution Approach 2:
The ribs are designed as thin-walled structures with optimized cross-sections that provide sufficient mechanical strength to support the ceiling while occupying minimal volume. The thin-walled design reduces the material consumption and volume of support structures compared to traditional solid columns.
3Ease of manufacture
If columns are used to support the ceiling during additive manufacturing, then the ceiling can be manufactured, but the columns occupy significant volume and remain permanently in semi-closed cavities
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into multiple slender ribs radiating from a central capital, each rib being a separate manufacturable element. This segmentation allows the supports to be integrated into the additive manufacturing process while minimizing their individual and collective volumes.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure parameters (cross-sectional dimensions, spacing, geometry) are optimized to minimize volume while maintaining manufacturability. The rib thickness and spacing are carefully selected to provide sufficient support during manufacturing with minimal permanent volume occupation in the final part.
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a part with a cavity by additive manufacturing wherein, on a ceiling (5) of the cavity, contiguous portions (7; 9), including at least one central portion (7) entirely delimited by edges, and peripheral portions (9) delimited by edges and a portion of a boundary (6) of the ceiling are defined. For the central portion, a capital (10) is defined by means of facets resting on the edges which delimit the central portion and converge towards an apex (12), and a slender support (14) in the form of a column is defined which extends from the capital to a floor (4) of the cavity while being centred on the apex. For each peripheral portion (9), a capital (16) is defined by means of facets resting on the edges which delimit the peripheral portion and converge towards an end edge (18) extending in a normal plane to a wall of the cavity, and a rib-shaped support (19) is defined which extends between the end edge of the capital and a wall of the cavity in the normal plane. The part comprising the cavity is manufactured by producing the supports and the capitals thus defined by additive manufacturing.