Additive Manufacturing of Ceramic Parts with Recesses for Hollow Sections
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of parts with complex shapes and compositions using additive processes faces difficulties due to challenges in cleaning three-dimensional geometries and integrating multiple materials, as existing technologies lack effective tools and methods for creating and processing such intricate designs.
Innovation Solution
A process and machine that utilize a photocurable composition for forming parts, where recesses are created in layers and filled with a sacrificial or additional photocurable material, allowing for the formation of hollow parts and multi-material components without the need for specialized cleaning tools, using laser machining and irradiation to harden the materials, enabling the production of complex ceramic and metallic parts through successive layer formation and debinding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If traditional additive manufacturing is used to manufacture parts with complex three-dimensional geometries, then the basic manufacturing capability is maintained, but the cleaning of passages becomes difficult due to lack of adapted tools
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the cleaning operation from the manufacturing process by using a sacrificial material that is removed during debinding. Instead of attempting to clean complex passages with specialized tools, the passages are filled with sacrificial material that is subsequently eliminated through thermal decomposition, leaving clean hollow passages without requiring any cleaning operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sacrificial material acts as an intermediary substance that temporarily occupies the hollow passages during manufacturing. This intermediary material enables the creation of complex geometries by filling spaces that would otherwise be inaccessible, and is later removed to reveal the final clean passages.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional additive manufacturing is used for simple parts, then the manufacturing process is well mastered, but the integration of multiple ceramic or metallic materials presents difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the manufacturing process into distinct phases: first forming the base structure with primary photocurable composition, then creating recesses and filling them with different sacrificial or additional compositions. This segmentation allows each material to be independently placed and processed, enabling multi-material integration without requiring complex simultaneous handling of multiple materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary actions by first creating the recesses in the hardened layers before filling them with different materials. This preliminary structuring of the build platform allows subsequent materials to be precisely positioned in predetermined locations, simplifying the integration of multiple materials compared to attempting to deposit multiple materials simultaneously.
3Shape
If hollows are made in layers and filled with flowable composition to create complex parts, then the capability to manufacture complex shapes is improved, but the process steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the cavity formation and material filling operations into a integrated workflow. The laser creates recesses that are immediately filled with sacrificial or additional compositions in the same build cycle, combining what could be separate operations into a unified process that adds complexity capability without proportionally increasing process steps.
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
Enables the efficient creation of complex-shaped and multi-material parts by allowing for the formation of hollow sections and integration of different materials within the part structure, facilitating the removal of uncured materials and achieving finished parts through debinding and sintering, thereby overcoming the limitations of traditional additive manufacturing methods.
Implementation Method 1
a first layer of the photocurable composition is hardened by irradiation according to a pattern defined from the model for the layer
Implementation Method 2
said sacrificial organic material being capable of being destroyed by heating during debinding
Implementation Method 3
the cleaned and unbound raw part is sintered to obtain the finished part
Data Source
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AI summary
A computer-aided design (CAD) model is created of the part(s) to be manufactured; on a manufacturing platform, said part(s) are formed, these being based on a photocurable ceramic or metallic composition (CPCb or CPMb). According to the invention, at least one material other than said basic CPCb or CPMb is prepared, which is a sacrificial organic material (MOS) suitable for destruction by heating during debinding, or an additional ceramic or metallic composition (CPCs or CPMs);successive layers of CPCb or CPMb are formed, each time hardened by irradiation according to the pattern previously defined from the model for said layer, the following steps being carried out to form hollow parts of the part and/or incorporate at least a part of another ceramic or metallic material: machining of at least one recess in at least one layer of CPCb or CPMb hardened from the upper surface thereof; deposition in said recess(es) of a MOS or CPCs or CPMs to fill it or them; hardening of the MOS or CPCs or CPMs placed in said recess(es) to obtain a hard horizontal surface at the same level as the adjacent layer of CPCb or CPMb;