Conduction Riser Layout for Thin Metal AM Deflection Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Thin metal parts manufactured using additive manufacturing often experience thermal deflection and warping due to uneven cooling and residual thermal stresses, which can lead to deformation during the build process and require additional support structures that need to be machined off post-build.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating conduction risers on the surface of thin metal parts, which are designed to efficiently distribute heat and reduce temperature gradients between layers, allowing for uniform cooling and minimizing thermal stresses during the additive manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If thin metal parts are manufactured using additive manufacturing, then complex design features can be incorporated, but thermal deflection and warping occur due to uneven cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adding conduction risers at specific locations on the part surface where thermal management is needed. These risers create localized thermal conduction pathways without altering the overall complex geometry of the part, allowing heat to be efficiently conducted from high-stress areas while preserving the design's functional features.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal conduction parameter by introducing conduction risers that modify the heat flow characteristics of the part. This parameter change enables more uniform heat distribution and cooling rates, preventing thermal deflection while maintaining the ability to manufacture complex geometries that would be impossible with traditional methods.
2Reliability
If vestigial support structures are used to prevent deflection, then thermal stresses are managed, but support structures must be machined off post-build
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the thermal management function from traditional support structures and implements it through conduction risers that are integral to the part design. This eliminates the need for separate support structures that would require post-build removal, while still providing effective thermal stress management during manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The conduction risers serve multiple functions: they provide thermal conduction pathways for heat management, maintain structural integrity during building, and become part of the final part geometry. This multi-functionality replaces the single-purpose support structures that only provided mechanical support but required removal.
3Manufacturing precision
If thin metal parts are manufactured out of sheet metal with tooling, then thermal deflection is avoided, but complex design features are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the advantages of traditional manufacturing (thermal control through conduction risers) with the advantages of additive manufacturing (complex geometry capability). The conduction risers provide the thermal management needed to prevent deflection, while the additive process enables complex features that cannot be achieved with sheet metal tooling.
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
The use of conduction risers enables the additive manufacturing of thin metal parts without the need for vestigial support structures, reducing the risk of thermal deflection and warping, and allows for the production of complex designs without post-build heat treatment-induced deformations.
Implementation Method 1
Conduction risers are added to a part to be additively manufactured. The conduction risers allow for conduction of heat away from the part during additive manufacturing of the part.
Data Source
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AI summary
A conduction riser 30 additively manufactured onto thin metal parts 26, the conduction riser 30 extending in a build direction of the thin metal part and traversing the thin metal part as the conduction riser extends in the build direction. The conduction riser 30 transferring heat from the upper layers of additively manufactured part during manufacturing, preventing thermal deflection of the part.