Layerwise Manufacturing Conveyor with Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current layerwise manufacturing methods are limited in scalability and efficiency, particularly in producing multiple products with different geometries and materials, as they often require multiple deposition devices and are not cost-effective for high-volume industrial production.
Innovation Solution
A method and production line that involves a single or limited number of deposition devices, where the building platform is moved relative to a fixed deposition device, allowing for quasi-simultaneous production of multiple products by adjusting the platform's position and using a conveyor to efficiently pass through the deposition area multiple times, reducing the need for multiple devices and enhancing production efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple deposition devices are used to produce products with different geometries and materials, then product versatility is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a single deposition device that can deposit multiple types of construction material, making the device universal and multi-functional. This allows the same device to produce products with different geometries and materials by varying deposition parameters rather than requiring separate specialized devices for each product type
Solution Approach 2:
The building platform is made dynamically adjustable in position and orientation relative to the deposition device. This dynamic repositioning capability allows a single fixed deposition device to access different areas and angles of the building platform, enabling versatile product production without moving the deposition device itself
2Productivity
If multiple deposition devices are used for high-volume production, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The building platform continuously moves through the deposition area in a cyclic manner, allowing the deposition device to work continuously without interruption. The platform is repositioned and returned to the deposition area repeatedly, maintaining continuous productive action rather than requiring multiple devices operating in parallel
Solution Approach 2:
The building platform is pre-positioned and prepared before each deposition cycle, and the deposition device is pre-configured with appropriate material and parameters. This preliminary preparation enables rapid successive depositions without setup time between products, increasing productivity with a single device
3Manufacturing precision
If the building platform is stationary during deposition, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to setup time
Solution Approach 1:
The building platform is dynamically repositioned to bring different areas into the deposition zone as needed. The platform moves to precise positions for each deposition operation, maintaining manufacturing precision through controlled positioning while increasing productivity by eliminating the need to move the entire deposition device
Solution Approach 2:
The building platform acts as an intermediary between the fixed deposition device and the final product. It provides a movable reference frame that allows the stationary deposition device to effectively work on different locations and orientations, maintaining precision through controlled platform movement rather than device movement
Data Source
AI summary
A production line for making tangible products by layerwise manufacturing. The production line comprises: (i) a first and a second building platform for carrying a tangible product; (ii) a deposition head for providing a layer of construction material onto the building platforms; (iii) a conveyor for conveying the building platforms in a conveying plane towards and away from the deposition head repeatedly; and (iv) height adjustment means to adjust the distance between the deposition head and the building platforms by displacing the building platforms relative to the conveyor in a direction perpendicular to the conveying plane. The production line may further comprise a picking unit for picking a product from the building platforms.