Horizontal WAAM Build Plate Rotation for Large Metal 3D Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) systems are limited by vertical print orientation, which restricts the size of printed objects, requires special facilities, and increases complexity due to gravity's effect on melt pools, leading to unevenness and longer print times.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a horizontal print orientation with a rotating build plate and multiple robots on fixed or mobile platforms, allowing for consistent gravity force and simultaneous multi-robot operations, enabling larger, faster, and more accessible metal 3D printing with improved surface finish and reduced parasitic mass.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vertical print orientation is used for WAAM, then gravity acts uniformly on each layer, but this limits the size of printed objects and requires tall enclosures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional vertical print orientation to a horizontal print orientation. By rotating the build plate 90 degrees, the printing process transitions from vertical to horizontal, allowing gravity to act consistently in the same direction throughout the build while enabling much larger object sizes without requiring tall enclosures. This inversion resolves the contradiction by changing the orientation paradigm.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions the printing process from a vertical dimension (building upward) to a horizontal dimension (building outward). The build plate rotates to enable horizontal deposition, allowing the printed object to extend horizontally rather than vertically. This dimensional change eliminates the height limitation while maintaining consistent gravity action on the melt pool.
2Ease of manufacture
If vertical print orientation is used for WAAM, then the process is straightforward, but this increases complexity due to gravity's effect on melt pools causing unevenness
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the print orientation from vertical to horizontal, the patent eliminates the problem of gravity causing unevenness in vertical builds. In horizontal orientation, gravity acts perpendicular to the build direction, providing consistent support for the melt pool throughout the deposition process, thereby improving layer uniformity while maintaining process simplicity.
3Device complexity
If vertical print orientation is used for WAAM, then the setup is simple, but this requires special facilities and tall enclosures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the build orientation to horizontal, which eliminates the need for tall enclosures while maintaining relatively simple system setup. The build plate rotates to enable horizontal printing, allowing the system to fit within standard facility heights while still achieving large object sizes through horizontal extension.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing from vertical to horizontal printing, the patent shifts the growth direction from the vertical dimension to the horizontal dimension. This allows large objects to be manufactured without increasing enclosure height, as the object extends outward rather than upward, eliminating the need for special tall facilities.
4Volume of moving object
If horizontal print orientation is implemented, then larger objects can be printed without tall enclosures, but this requires a rotating build plate mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a rotating build plate that can dynamically change orientation between vertical and horizontal positions. This dynamic mechanism allows the system to adapt its configuration based on the printing requirements, enabling horizontal printing for large objects while maintaining the option for vertical printing when appropriate. The rotation mechanism, while adding complexity, provides versatile functionality.
5Productivity
If multiple robots are used for simultaneous operations, then productivity increases, but this increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple WAAM robots to operate simultaneously on the same build plate in horizontal orientation. This merging of multiple printing operations into a single coordinated system enables parallel deposition, significantly increasing productivity. The horizontal build plate provides ample surface area for multiple robots to work concurrently without interfering with each other.
Solution Approach 2:
The horizontal build plate serves multiple functions: it supports simultaneous operation of multiple robots, provides a large working surface area, and can be rotated to optimize the positioning of multiple print heads. This multi-functional design enables the system to handle complex multi-robot coordination while maintaining efficiency.
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
Horizontal WAAM systems enable faster print speeds, better print quality, and increased flexibility for large-scale metal 3D printing without the need for tall enclosures or special facilities, allowing for larger objects with improved accessibility and reduced production time.
Implementation Method 1
gravity generally acts on each point of a layer uniformly
Implementation Method 2
heat energy is applied to the metal wire and the heat energy melts the wire to allow it to be layered
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C~2D
AI summary
Systems and methods for wire arc additive manufacturing systems that print in horizontal orientations are described. Horizontal WAAM 3D print systems comprise metal 3D print systems in a horizontal orientation with one or more robots operating concurrently on a work piece using one or more wire feeds and a rotating, horizontal build plate.