Laser Bead Flattening in Wire Additive Manufacturing Layers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional additive manufacturing techniques, such as direct energy deposition, suffer from gaps between adjacent beads in a layer, leading to a decrease in the strength of the manufactured three-dimensional shaped objects.
Innovation Solution
An additive manufacturing apparatus that forms layers with unit beads solidified by a molten material, where a controller device controls the material supply and irradiation units to flatten the beads upon contact, ensuring proper alignment and minimizing gaps between them.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the surface of the layer is melted to eliminate gaps between layers, then layer bonding is improved, but gaps between adjacent beads in the same layer remain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by flattening each unit bead immediately after it is formed, before the next bead is deposited. This pre-flattening ensures that the surface is level and ready to receive the next bead, preventing gap formation at the interface between beads in the same layer. The flattening action is performed as part of the bead formation process itself, not as a separate subsequent operation.
2Productivity
If conventional additive manufacturing is used to manufacture shaped objects, then material usage is efficient, but gaps between beads lead to decreased strength
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the irradiation conditions of the beam to control the flattening of unit beads. By adjusting beam parameters such as power, duration, and focal position, the molten material is controlled to spread and flatten upon solidification, ensuring complete contact between adjacent beads. This parameter optimization maintains material efficiency while eliminating gaps that would compromise structural strength.
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 prevents the decrease in strength of the shaped object by ensuring tight contact between unit beads, enhancing the structural integrity of the manufactured items.
Implementation Method 1
an irradiation unit to emit a beam that melts the material supplied
Implementation Method 2
the controller device performs control such that a formed unit bead is flattened by irradiation with the beam
Data Source
AI summary
An additive manufacturing apparatus manufactures a shaped object by stacking layers in each of which unit beads that are solidified products of a molten material are laid side by side. The additive manufacturing apparatus includes a material supply unit that supplies a wire as the material to a workpiece, an irradiation unit that emits a laser beam for melting the material supplied, and a controller device that controls the material supply unit and the irradiation unit to form the unit beads. In the formation of unit beads brought into contact with each other to form the layer, the controller device performs control such that a formed unit bead is flattened by irradiation with the beam, and a unit bead is formed in contact with the unit bead that has been flattened.