Hybrid Additive-Subtractive Manufacturing for Stable Material Blending
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manufacturing processes face challenges in efficiently combining additive and subtractive methods to produce complex structures, particularly in high-temperature environments, leading to instability, vibration, and material distortion, which can result in tool damage and part inaccuracies.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid additive and subtractive manufacturing system that simulates and adjusts the manufacturing process using numerical simulation to balance additive and subtractive operations, allowing for staged material deposition and removal, thereby stabilizing the process and improving precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If additive and subtractive manufacturing are combined in a hybrid system, then manufacturing efficiency and precision are improved, but process stability deteriorates due to thermal effects and vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing numerical simulation of thermal effects and vibration before actual manufacturing. The simulation predicts potential instability issues, allowing the system to adjust process parameters in advance to prevent tool damage and part inaccuracies before they occur in the actual hybrid manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using simulation results to continuously adjust manufacturing parameters. The system monitors predicted thermal distortion and vibration from simulation, then feeds this information back to modify additive and subtractive operation parameters, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains stability while preserving manufacturing efficiency.
2Manufacturing precision
If material is added and removed in staged operations, then manufacturing precision is improved, but manufacturing time increases due to multiple operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges additive and subtractive manufacturing operations into a unified hybrid process that executes multiple stages sequentially. By integrating material addition and removal in a coordinated manner within a single manufacturing system, the patent achieves high precision through multiple operations while minimizing the time loss that would occur with separate, disconnected manufacturing processes.
3Manufacturing precision
If simulation is used to adjust material amounts, then part accuracy is improved, but computational complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses numerical simulation to create a virtual copy of the hybrid manufacturing process. This digital model replicates thermal effects, vibration, and material behavior, allowing accurate prediction of part distortion and tool stability without requiring complex physical experiments. The simulation copy enables precise parameter adjustment while keeping actual manufacturing equipment relatively simple.
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 reduces manufacturing costs, minimizes tool breakage, and enhances the quality of complex structures by preventing undesirable instability and distortion, while optimizing material usage and production time.
Implementation Method 1
additive manufacturing, also known as solid free form fabrication or 3D printing, refers to any manufacturing process where 3D parts are built up from raw material (generally powders, liquids, suspensions, or molten solids)
Implementation Method 2
3D parts are built up from raw material (generally powders, liquids, suspensions, or molten solids) in a series of two-dimensional tiers or cross-sections
Implementation Method 3
subtractive manufacturing refers to any manufacturing process where 3D parts are created from stock material (generally a 'blank' or 'workpiece' that is larger than the 3D part) by cutting away portions of the stock material
Implementation Method 4
the simulating includes simulating thermal effects of adding and removing the material in the first and second stages
Implementation Method 5
the simulating includes simulating vibration experienced during at least the removing of the second material
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design and manufacture of physical structures using hybrid additive and subtractive manufacturing include, in one aspect, a method including: obtaining data for 3D geometry of a part; simulating at least a portion of a manufacturing process that includes adding first material in a first stage and removing second material in a second, subsequent stage, where the second material includes a portion of the first material, removing the second material includes blending between the material added in the first and second stages, and thermal effects of adding and removing the material in the first and second stages is simulated; and adjusting an amount of the portion based on results of the simulating to prevent deviation of the part from the three dimensional geometry that results in not enough material being available for the blending.