Disposable Additive Tooling for Complex Part Fabrication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional manufacturing methods for complex tooling required for specialized equipment parts are costly and time-consuming, often necessitating expensive materials and long lead times, with tooling being usable for only a single specific purpose.
Innovation Solution
The method involves generating a digital model of tooling with complex geometry using additive manufacturing, laying up fabrication materials, curing them to form a part, and then removing the tooling, which can be recycled for reuse, allowing for adjustable cure processes and the use of lower-cost materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional machining or manufacturing techniques are used to create tooling for complex geometries, then the tooling can be produced with required precision, but the manufacturing cost and lead time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable tooling made from inexpensive materials like wax or plastic that can be easily manufactured through additive processes. These tooling pieces are used once or a few times and then discarded, eliminating the need for expensive, durable tooling while maintaining geometric precision during the molding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses digital 3D models to directly create physical tooling through additive manufacturing processes. The digital model serves as a precise template that is copied into physical form layer by layer, achieving complex geometries with high precision without requiring traditional machining operations.
2Reliability
If traditional machining techniques are used to manufacture tooling, then the tooling can achieve required material properties, but the manufacturing duration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses disposable tooling made from materials like wax or plastic that do not require long machining durations. These materials can be rapidly deposited through additive manufacturing processes while still providing sufficient structural integrity for the molding operation, significantly reducing lead times.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary digital modeling and simulation before physical manufacturing. The digital model allows for optimization of the tooling design and manufacturing parameters in advance, enabling faster additive manufacturing while ensuring the final tooling meets material property requirements.
3Reliability
If expensive materials are used for tooling to withstand thermal cure temperatures and pressures, then the tooling can handle the curing process, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable tooling made from inexpensive materials like wax or plastic that are used only during the molding process. Since these tooling pieces are discarded after use, there is no need to use expensive heat-resistant materials, significantly reducing material costs while still providing adequate thermal resistance during the curing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a release agent or mold release coating as an intermediary between the disposable tooling and the composite material. This intermediary layer protects the inexpensive tooling from direct thermal and chemical exposure during curing, enabling the use of low-cost materials while maintaining process reliability.
4Shape
If traditional manufacturing processes are used to create unique geometries, then the required shapes can be achieved, but the process complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses digital 3D models to directly create complex geometries through additive manufacturing. The digital model contains all the geometric information needed, and the additive process automatically copies this information into physical form, eliminating the need for complex machining setups, fixtures, and multiple manufacturing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from traditional 2D or 3-axis machining to 3D or 4D (adding time/layer-by-layer construction) additive manufacturing. This dimensional change enables the creation of complex geometries that would be impossible or extremely difficult to achieve with conventional machining, while simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
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 approach enables low-cost, low-cycle-time fabrication of parts with complex geometries, allowing for the repeated generation of tooling and reducing production costs by eliminating the need for expensive, single-purpose tooling.
Implementation Method 1
additively manufacturing a tooling based on the digital model from tooling material
Implementation Method 2
curing the fabrication materials on the tooling to form a fabricated part
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of manufacturing a fabricated part having complex geometry is provided. The method includes generating a digital model of a tooling having a complex geometry; additively manufacturing a tooling based on the digital model from tooling material; laying-up fabrication materials on the tooling; curing the fabrication materials on the tooling to form a fabricated part; and removing the tooling from the fabricated part.