Interconnected 3D-Printed Workpieces for Multi-Part Machining
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Subtractive manufacturing processes are labor-intensive and limited in geometry due to the need for frequent loading and unloading of materials, and they struggle with efficiently producing multiple discrete objects from a single body of material.
Innovation Solution
A method involving additive manufacturing to create a body of material with interconnected structures, which is then stabilized using removable fixating material within a frame, allowing for the formation of multiple discrete objects through subtractive manufacturing processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional subtractive manufacturing processes are used to manufacture discrete objects, then geometric flexibility is limited, but labor intensity and production time increase due to frequent loading and unloading of individual bodies of material
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the manufacturing process by creating a body of material containing multiple interconnected structures that can be separately processed. Each structure is designed as an independent discrete object within a single additively manufactured body, allowing multiple objects to be produced from one material body without frequent loading/unloading operations
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges multiple discrete objects into a single additively manufactured body of material with interconnected structures. This combining approach allows all structures to be held and processed simultaneously in one setup, eliminating the need for repeated loading and unloading of individual bodies while maintaining the ability to separate objects after processing
2Productivity
If multiple discrete objects are produced from a single body of material using subtractive manufacturing, then production efficiency improves, but the body of material must be stabilized during processing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by additively manufacturing the body of material with interconnected structures before the subtractive manufacturing process. This pre-formed structure provides inherent stability and positioning features that facilitate easier stabilization during subsequent machining operations, reducing the complexity of fixtures and fixating materials needed
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses removable fixating material as an intermediary between the additively manufactured body and the subtractive manufacturing process. This intermediary substance temporarily stabilizes the interconnected structures during machining, then can be easily removed to reveal the finished discrete objects, simplifying the overall stabilization process
3Productivity
If additive manufacturing is used to create a body of material with interconnected structures, then multiple objects can be produced simultaneously, but removable fixating material must be installed and removed
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies parameter changes by selecting fixating materials with specific properties that allow easy installation and removal. The removable fixating material is chosen to be temporarily stable during machining but easily removable afterward through melting, dissolving, or other simple processes, changing the material state from stable to removable without complex operations
Data Source
AI summary
A system for manufacturing a plurality of discrete objects from a body of material created by additive manufacturing using an automated manufacturing device includes an automated manufacturing device, the automated manufacturing device including at least a controller configured to receive at least a graphical model of a plurality of structures, receive at least a graphical representation of at least an interconnecting portion, the at least an interconnecting portion connecting at least a first structure of the plurality of structures to at least a second structure of the plurality of structures, and generate a graphical representation of an additively manufacture body of material, as a function of the graphical model of the plurality of structures, and the graphical representation of the at least an interconnecting portion.