Modular Mold Assembly for Large-Scale 3D Printed Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high costs and specialized equipment required for creating large molds limit the scalability and flexibility of traditional molding processes, particularly for complex components like airplane wings or vehicle body panels.
Innovation Solution
A mold is constructed using a plurality of separately formed building blocks, each with mold surface segments, assembled to form a contiguous mold surface that corresponds to the component shape, allowing for the creation of molds of any size using additive manufacturing machines distributed across various locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional large molds are created using specialized equipment, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is divided into multiple building blocks that can be manufactured separately using standard 3-D printers and then assembled together. Each building block contains a portion of the mold surface, and when combined, they form the complete large-scale mold surface, eliminating the need for specialized large-scale manufacturing equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple individually printed building blocks are combined to form a complete large-scale mold. The assembly process merges the capabilities of several standard 3-D printers to achieve what would otherwise require a single specialized large-scale manufacturing system.
2Ease of manufacture
If large molds are created using specialized equipment, then manufacturing capability is maintained, but cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The mold manufacturing process is segmented into multiple building blocks that can be produced independently using widely available 3-D printing technology. This segmentation allows standard equipment to be used instead of expensive specialized equipment, significantly reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold surface is copied across multiple building blocks, each containing a portion of the total mold surface. This allows the manufacturing process to be distributed across multiple standard 3-D printers rather than requiring a single expensive specialized manufacturing system.
3Productivity
If single large molds are manufactured, then manufacturing speed is maintained, but adaptability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is segmented into building blocks that can be manufactured in parallel on multiple 3-D printers simultaneously, maintaining manufacturing speed. The modular nature of these blocks allows flexible assembly into different mold sizes and configurations, providing adaptability for different component sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold structure becomes dynamic and reconfigurable through the modular building block design. Blocks can be assembled in different configurations to create molds of varying sizes and shapes, allowing the system to adapt to different manufacturing needs while maintaining efficient parallel production.
4Manufacturing precision
If traditional molding methods are used, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but scalability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The mold surface is segmented across multiple building blocks, each manufactured with standard precision 3-D printing. When assembled, these blocks collectively provide the complete precision surface needed for accurate component molding, enabling scalability to large sizes while maintaining precision through the cumulative effect of multiple precisely manufactured blocks.
Data Source
AI summary
A mold for use in molding a surface of a component is formed from separate building blocks that are assembled together so that mold surface segments associated with each of the building blocks line up to form one contiguous mold surface that corresponds with the shape of the mold. The building blocks can be formed to have integral formations for connecting them together. The building blocks can be formed by modeling the contiguous mold surface, dividing this first mold model into sections which define discrete building block models, and then forming each building block separately based on the discrete building block models. For instance, the individual block models can be assigned to different additive manufacturing machines and then later be assembled together at a final location.