Lamination Molding Cooling Plate for Localized Thermal Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In lamination molding, temperature control of solidified layers is inefficient as the entire solidified body needs to be cooled and heated each time a layer is formed, even if only a part requires temperature adjustment, leading to prolonged processing times.
Innovation Solution
A lamination molding apparatus with a processing head equipped with a cooling device featuring a cooling plate that directly cools the upper surface of the solidified body, allowing for targeted temperature control without the need for additional horizontal movement mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If temperature control is performed using a temperature adjusting mechanism arranged in the molding table, then the entire solidified body can be cooled and heated, but it takes a long time to adjust the temperature and requires cooling the entire body even when only a part needs temperature control
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling device is integrated into the processing head, enabling localized cooling of specific regions on the upper surface of the solidified body. This allows temperature control to be applied only where needed rather than cooling the entire solidified body, thereby reducing the time required for temperature adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling function is moved from the horizontal plane (molding table) to the vertical dimension (processing head positioned above). This dimensional shift allows the cooling device to approach and cool the upper surface of the solidified body directly from above, enabling faster and more targeted temperature control.
2Ease of operation
If a separate driving device is added to move the cooling device horizontally, then the cooling device can be positioned accurately, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling device is merged with the processing head, which already has its own driving mechanism for horizontal movement during processing operations. This integration eliminates the need for a separate driving device to position the cooling device horizontally, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining positioning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing head is given multi-functionality by integrating both the processing tool and the cooling device. The single processing head performs both processing operations and temperature control functions, eliminating the need for additional dedicated positioning mechanisms for the cooling device.
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 enables rapid and localized cooling of the upper surface of the solidified body, reducing processing time and eliminating the need for additional horizontal movement devices, thus simplifying the cooling process and improving efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling device provided in the processing head and cooling at least a part of a solidified body including an upper surface to a predetermined cooling temperature... a cooling plate having a cooling surface being cooled to the cooling temperature, the cooling surface being in close contact with the upper surface of the solidified body
Data Source
AI summary
A lamination molding apparatus includes an irradiator, a processing unit, and a cooling device. The irradiator irradiates a material layer with a beam to form a solidified layer. The processing unit includes a processing head having a tool that performs processing on the solidified layer, and a processing head driver moving the processing head at least in a horizontal direction. The cooling device is provided in the processing head and cools at least a part of a solidified body including an upper surface to a predetermined cooling temperature, and the solidified body is formed by laminating the solidified layer. The cooling device includes a cooling plate having a cooling surface being cooled to the cooling temperature, and the cooling surface is in close contact with the upper surface of the solidified body in a recumbent state with the cooling surface along the horizontal direction.