Concentric Printing Head for Laminar Shielding Gas Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wire-based additive manufacturing, existing printing heads face challenges in maintaining a stable laminar flow of shielding gas, leading to spatter buildup and poor material properties due to turbulent gas flow and inadequate gas coverage.
Innovation Solution
The development of a printing head with concentric fluid flow channels and high-pressure internal channels that use diffuser holes to maintain a high-pressure shielding gas flow, preventing spatter buildup and ensuring uniform gas coverage around the feed material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional single-channel printing head is used, then the structure is simple, but the gas flow becomes turbulent and spatter buildup occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The printing head is divided into multiple concentric fluid flow channels (first channel, second channel, third channel) that independently control different gas flows. This segmentation allows separate control of shielding gas and high-pressure gas flows, stabilizing the overall gas flow pattern and preventing turbulence-induced spatter buildup.
Solution Approach 2:
The printing head employs a nested concentric channel structure where the first fluid flow channel, second fluid flow channel, and third fluid flow channel are arranged concentrically one inside another. This nested configuration enables compact integration of multiple gas delivery paths while maintaining stable laminar flow patterns and preventing spatter accumulation.
2Reliability
If high-pressure gas flow is used to prevent spatter, then spatter buildup is reduced, but the gas flow may become turbulent
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the printing head deliver gas at different pressures through dedicated channels. The third fluid flow channel delivers high-pressure gas locally to the distal end to prevent spatter buildup, while the first and second channels maintain lower pressure shielding gas flow to preserve laminar flow stability in the bulk gas delivery region.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas delivery system is segmented into multiple functional channels: the first channel for shielding gas, the second channel for additional shielding gas, and the third channel for high-pressure spatter control gas. This segmentation allows the high-pressure flow to be applied locally without disrupting the laminar flow in other regions, thus preventing spatter while maintaining flow stability.
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 configuration enhances the continuous run time of the printing process by reducing spatter accumulation and improving material quality through stable laminar gas flow, allowing for more efficient and consistent metal part production.
Implementation Method 1
a second fluid flow channel configured to maintain the second fluid at a pressure greater than or equal to a pressure of the first fluid
Implementation Method 2
printing heads that can produce a high-pressure laminar flow of shielding gas
Data Source
AI summary
Many embodiments described herein are directed to a printing nozzle capable of producing a high-pressure flow of shielding gas that surrounds a lower pressure flow of shielding gas of the central channel. In certain embodiments, the high-pressure shield gas flow in the internal channels can blow out the material buildup in the nozzle. The high-pressure shielding gas can be concentrically produced around the first low-pressure shielding gas such that it helps to force the first shielding gas into a more laminar flow around the feed material. In several embodiments, a second low-pressure flow of shielding gas can be produced using a secondary cup to increase shielding gas coverage. In various embodiments, a secondary cup surrounds the inner cup, where the gas flow in the central channel and the outer channel can provide shielding gas coverage for the nozzle during printing.