ECC 3D Printing Nozzle With Shaping Blades for Smooth Sidewalls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing additive manufacturing processes for concrete structures face challenges in achieving smooth sidewalls and integrating reinforcement due to the brittle nature of concrete and issues with fiber clumping, which limits geometric freedom and surface finish.
Innovation Solution
An automated robotic printing device with a tiltable and steerable deposition head equipped with a specially designed extrusion nozzle and shaping blades is used to extrude engineered cementitious composite (ECC) with smooth sides, featuring a transition region and shaping blades to ensure smooth deposition and high mechanical properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional layer-based extrusion approaches are used for concrete additive manufacturing, then the printing process can be automated and geometric freedom is improved, but the surface finish becomes uneven and bumpy, failing to compete with molded concrete
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating shaping blades at the terminal end of the extrusion nozzle that pre-shape the cementitious composition before deposition. This preliminary shaping ensures the material is properly formed as it exits the nozzle, eliminating the need for post-finishing operations and achieving smooth surface finishes directly during the printing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaping blades act as an intermediary element between the extrusion nozzle and the deposited structure. These blades modify the material flow and shape the composition during extrusion, serving as a mediator that transforms the raw extruded material into a smoothly finished surface without requiring additional post-processing steps.
2Strength
If fibers are added to concrete to create Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) for improved ductility, then tensile strength and strain capacity are enhanced, but the fibers cause clumping and agglomeration that blocks flow in the printing system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the rheological properties of the ECC composition to achieve optimal flowability for additive manufacturing. By adjusting parameters such as viscosity, water-to-cement ratio, and fiber distribution characteristics, the composition maintains both the enhanced tensile strength from fibers and the necessary flowability for continuous printing without clogging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by ensuring uniform fiber distribution throughout the cementitious composition rather than random clumping. The shaping blades and extrusion system are designed to create localized shear zones that prevent fiber agglomeration while maintaining overall fiber reinforcement, achieving both flowability and strength enhancement.
3Strength
If reinforcement is integrated into concrete structures to overcome brittleness, then structural strength and ductility are improved, but the printing process becomes more complex and design freedom is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by using Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) that inherently contain distributed fibers providing reinforcement throughout the material matrix. This eliminates the need for separate reinforcement integration steps, as the reinforcement is built into the material itself, maintaining printing process simplicity while achieving enhanced structural strength and ductility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies self-service by designing the ECC composition to be self-reinforcing through internally distributed fibers. The material reinforces itself without requiring external reinforcement elements or complex integration processes, allowing the printing system to remain simple while producing structurally enhanced components.
4Manufacturing precision
If formwork is used for traditional concrete construction to achieve smooth surfaces, then surface finish quality is improved, but construction cost increases by up to 50% of total project cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies taking out by extracting and eliminating the formwork step from the construction process entirely. The shaping blades integrated into the extrusion nozzle directly form smooth surfaces during deposition, removing the need for separate formwork materials and the associated 50% cost increase while maintaining high surface finish quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies self-service by enabling the printing system to self-form smooth surfaces through the integrated shaping blades without requiring external formwork. The system performs both deposition and surface finishing in a single operation, eliminating the need for additional formwork materials and reducing construction costs significantly.
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 system enables the production of structures with smooth sides and enhanced mechanical properties, such as uniaxial tensile strength, tensile strain capacity, and compressive strength, while maximizing geometric freedom and compatibility with reinforcement-free construction.
Implementation Method 1
An automated robotic printing device with a tiltable and steerable deposition head equipped with a specially designed extrusion nozzle and shaping blades is used to extrude engineered cementitious composite (ECC) with smooth sides
Data Source
AI summary
An automated robotic printing device for additive manufacturing or three-dimensional printing of an engineered cementitious composite (ECC) structure is provided. The device has a feeding system and an automated extrusion system configured to receive the ECC composition from the feeding system and deposit the ECC composition onto a target. The automated extrusion system comprising at least one robotic device comprising a tiltable and steerable deposition head that comprises an extrusion nozzle having a substantially rectangular opening and at least one shaping blade at a terminal end to shape and deposit the cementitious composition onto a target. Methods of additive manufacturing of a structure from the ECC compositions are also provided.