Deformable Support Sheet for Additive Manufacturing Detachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing additive manufacturing techniques for ceramic and metallic materials face challenges in producing thin-walled and thin-layered pieces due to inadequate support systems, leading to damage during detachment and reduced productivity.
Innovation Solution
A process using a deformable polymeric support sheet with specific thickness and flatness characteristics, combined with a construction platform of controlled roughness and parallelism, to facilitate the additive manufacturing of ceramic and metallic pieces without damage during detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid support system is used for additive manufacturing, then structural stability is improved, but thin-walled and thin-layered pieces are damaged during detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The support sheet changes its physical parameters between two states: during printing it is rigid (flatness within 10 μm) to provide structural stability, and during detachment it becomes flexible (flatness up to 3 mm) to prevent damage to thin-walled pieces. This parameter transformation resolves the contradiction between needing rigidity for stability and flexibility for safe detachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The support sheet transitions from a static rigid state during manufacturing to a dynamic flexible state during detachment. This dynamic behavior allows the same support structure to serve two opposing functions: providing stability during printing and enabling damage-free removal during detachment.
2Reliability
If a flexible support sheet is used to prevent damage during detachment, then piece integrity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to insufficient flatness
Solution Approach 1:
The support sheet's flatness parameter is controlled at two different stages: during printing it maintains high flatness (within 10 μm) to ensure manufacturing precision, and during detachment it can have lower flatness (up to 3 mm) to provide flexibility for damage-free removal. This temporal separation of parameter requirements resolves the contradiction.
3Productivity
If multiple pieces are printed simultaneously to improve productivity, then output increases, but support system complexity increases leading to detachment difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The support system is segmented into individual support sheets for each piece, allowing multiple pieces to be printed simultaneously on the same platform. Each support sheet can be independently manipulated during detachment, simplifying the overall process despite handling multiple pieces. This segmentation enables high productivity while maintaining simple, manageable detachment operations.
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 successful production of thin-walled and thin-layered ceramic and metallic pieces without damage during detachment, improving productivity by allowing multiple pieces to be printed simultaneously.
Implementation Method 1
a first layer of a photocurable composition comprising at least one ceramic or metallic material, at least one photocurable monomer and/or oligomer, at least one photoinitiator
Implementation Method 2
the said support sheet being pressed against the said construction platform by suction
Data Source
AI summary
According to the present invention, before applying the first layer: the building platform is covered with a support sheet capable of being pressed against it, forming a rigid and fixed surface for receiving successive layers capable of retaining on it the successive layers formed; and the said support sheet is pressed against the said construction platform by suction; the green piece formed using the technique of additive manufacturing; and once the green piece has been formed in this way, the suction is removed in order to detach from the said platform the said support sheet on which the green piece is located with the part of the photocurable composition which has not been cured; the uncured part of the photocurable composition is removed; and the green piece is unhooked from the support sheet, characterised in that the support sheet is a polymeric sheet having a thickness of 0.05 to 5 mm and a flatness of less than 70% of the thickness of a layer, preferably less than 40% of the thickness of a layer, said support sheet being deformable to allow, once the suction has been removed, the green piece to be unhooked therefrom by applying a stress to said sheet so as to deform it in order to release the green piece.