Humidity-Adaptive Powder Layering for Solid Freeform Fabrication

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Solution Overview

Problem

The quality of solid freeform fabrication objects in powder additive manufacturing is unstable due to humidity affecting the permeability and flowability of powders during the lamination process, leading to inconsistent results in high and low humidity environments.

Innovation Solution

A device that includes a flattening device to form powder layers, a liquid application device to bond the powder, a controller to adjust parameters like moving speed, rotation, application amount, and lamination pitch based on detected humidity levels, and a detector to monitor humidity, ensuring consistent fabrication quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If powder additive manufacturing is performed in high humidity environment, then the powder absorbs moisture which affects permeability and flowability, but the fabrication quality becomes unstable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefabrication quality stabilityVSAvoidhumidity effect on powder

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically changes process parameters (flattening speed, application amount, lamination pitch) based on detected humidity levels to compensate for humidity-induced variations in powder properties, thereby maintaining stable fabrication quality across different humidity conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

A humidity detector continuously monitors the environment and provides feedback to the controller, which automatically adjusts the flattening and liquid application parameters in real-time to counteract the harmful effects of humidity on powder flowability and permeability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If the flattening device moves faster to increase productivity, then the fabrication speed improves, but the powder layer uniformity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefabrication speedVSAvoidpowder layer uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the flattening device speed based on real-time humidity detection, allowing the speed to vary during the fabrication process to maintain powder layer uniformity while optimizing overall productivity according to environmental conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Strength

If the application amount of liquid fabrication is increased to improve bonding, then the layer object strength improves, but the permeability of liquid fabrication deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelayer object strengthVSAvoidliquid fabrication permeability

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The controller dynamically adjusts the liquid fabrication application amount based on detected humidity levels and powder flowability characteristics, optimizing the balance between bonding strength and liquid permeability for each layer according to real-time environmental conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 device stabilizes the quality of solid freeform fabrication objects by dynamically adjusting the flattening and bonding processes according to humidity conditions, preventing issues like protrusions in high humidity and dents in low humidity environments.

Implementation Method 1

a detector to detect humidity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHumidity detection: Hygrometer

Implementation Method 2

applies a liquid fabrication to the flattened powder layer to bond the powder to form a layer object

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Data Source

PatentUS10800152B2Device to fabricate solid freeform fabrication object, non-transitory recording medium, and method of fabricating solid freeform fabrication object

Publication Date: 2020.10.13 RICOH CO LTD

AI summary

A device to fabricate a solid freeform fabrication object includes a flattening device to lay powder to form a powder layer and flatten a surface of the powder layer, a liquid fabrication application device to apply a liquid fabrication to the powder layer to fabricate a layer object, a fabrication controller to control fabrication of the solid freeform fabrication object by repeating laying the powder to form a powder layer, flattening the surface of the powder layer, and applying the liquid fabrication to the powder layer to laminate the layer object to fabricate the solid freeform fabrication object, and a detector to detect humidity. The fabrication controller changes at least one of the moving speed of the flattening device, the number of rotation of the flattening device, the application amount of the liquid fabrication, and the lamination pitch according to the humidity detected by the detector.