Helical Fragment Patterning on Curved Surfaces for 3D Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fragmentation devices are not optimized for complex designs that can be efficiently manufactured through additive manufacturing, lacking high fragment numbers and efficient fragmentation patterns.
Innovation Solution
A method for generating a geometry of a fragmentation device using a three-dimensional inner body with a curved surface, employing helical patterns and fragment alignment to create a plurality of fragments that can be additively manufactured, ensuring high fragment density and efficient fragmentation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If standard casting and assembly methods are used to manufacture fragmentation devices, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but design complexity and fragment optimization are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical casting and assembly methods with additive manufacturing technology. This substitution enables the production of complex helical fragment patterns that would be impossible to achieve through conventional manufacturing, while still maintaining manufacturing efficiency through digital design and automated production processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the manufacturing approach from subtractive (casting) to additive (3D printing), fundamentally altering how fragments are formed. This parameter change in the manufacturing process enables unprecedented design freedom for fragment geometry and arrangement, allowing optimization of fragment distribution patterns along helical paths on the shell surface.
2Ease of manufacture
If simple cylindrical or spherical patterns are used, then manufacturing ease is maintained, but fragment number and three-dimensional coverage are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs helical curves and three-dimensional spatial arrangements of fragments along curved paths on the shell surface. This curvature-based design creates optimized fragment distribution that maximizes three-dimensional coverage and fragment count while maintaining manufacturability through additive processes that naturally handle complex geometries.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from simple two-dimensional surface patterns to three-dimensional fragment arrangements along helical paths. By adding the dimensional aspect of helical winding around the shell, the design achieves superior fragment distribution and coverage while the additive manufacturing process handles the complexity without increasing manufacturing difficulty.
3Quantity of substance
If complex fragment patterns are designed, then fragment number and coverage are improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical manufacturing processes with additive manufacturing technology. This substitution eliminates the manufacturing difficulties associated with complex fragment patterns, as additive processes can directly deposit material in the desired helical configurations without requiring complex tooling, assembly steps, or specialized fabrication techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufacturing process inherently handles the complexity of helical fragment patterns through its layer-by-layer construction capability. The system self-adapts to create complex geometries without requiring additional manufacturing interventions, making the production of high-fragment-count designs as easy as producing simple patterns.
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional manufacturing methods are used, then production cost is controlled, but design optimization for additive manufacturing is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a design methodology that is specifically optimized for additive manufacturing while maintaining cost-effectiveness. The helical fragment pattern design leverages the unique capabilities of additive processes to achieve superior fragmentation performance, demonstrating how design optimization for a specific manufacturing method can enhance performance without necessarily increasing cost.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of creating geometry for a fragmentation device are presented. The geometry may be generated using computer-aided design tools. An inner body with a curved surface may be generated. An intersection line may be generated on the curved surface by tracing a helical path. A fragment comprising a fragment surface tangent to the curved surface may be generated and aligned with the intersection line. A pattern of fragments may then be generated based on the fragment, the intersection line, and the curved surface. The geometry of the fragmentation device may be stored for manufacture of the fragmentation device by additive manufacturing.