Multi-Material Electromagnetic Shield via Additive Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional magnetic shield designs face challenges in iterative design and fabrication, particularly when using high magnetic permeability materials for complex applications, as they often result in geometric limitations, increased complexity, and added mass due to the use of single material shields that may not effectively contain strong magnetic fields or shield multiple types of electromagnetic interference.
Innovation Solution
The development of multi-material electromagnetic shields using additive manufacturing processes, which allow for the fabrication of geometrically complex shields with alternating materials optimized for specific applications, by controlling print parameters such as laser power, scan speed, and microstructure tuning to enhance magnetic shielding performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional sheet metal fabricating and metal forming techniques are used for magnetic shielding, then fabrication capability is maintained, but geometric complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical sheet metal fabricating and metal forming techniques with additive manufacturing technology. This substitution enables the direct fabrication of geometrically complex electromagnetic shields with multi-material compositions, eliminating the need for complex welding, brazing, or mechanical forming operations while maintaining fabrication capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by integrating multiple magnetic and non-magnetic materials within a single additive manufacturing process. This allows the creation of multi-layered electromagnetic shields with optimized magnetic properties, such as alternating layers of high permeability and high saturation materials, that cannot be achieved with conventional single-material fabrication methods.
2Reliability
If high magnetic permeability materials are used for critical applications, then shielding performance is improved, but iterative design and fabrication difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes additive manufacturing parameter control to precisely adjust material properties and microstructure. By controlling printing parameters such as laser power, scan speed, and layer thickness, the process enables iterative optimization of high magnetic permeability materials to achieve desired shielding performance while simplifying the design-fabrication cycle through digital modeling and parameter adjustment rather than complex mechanical fabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating spatially varying material compositions within the electromagnetic shield. Different regions of the shield can be manufactured with different material properties optimized for specific functions, such as high permeability materials in regions requiring flux containment and high saturation materials in regions requiring magnetic field containment, all within a single additive manufacturing process.
3Device complexity
If single material shields are used, then fabrication simplicity is maintained, but shielding effectiveness for strong magnetic fields and multiple EM types is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates composite electromagnetic shields with alternating layers of different materials, each optimized for specific shielding requirements. This includes combining high magnetic permeability materials with high saturation materials, and integrating non-magnetic materials with magnetic materials, achieving enhanced shielding effectiveness against strong magnetic fields and multiple electromagnetic interference types while maintaining fabrication simplicity through additive manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by assigning different material compositions to different regions of the electromagnetic shield based on functional requirements. This allows optimization of shielding effectiveness for specific applications, such as using high permeability materials for flux containment in certain areas and high saturation materials for magnetic field containment in other areas, all fabricated through a single additive manufacturing process.
4Reliability
If conventional multi-material shields with welded or brazed joints are used, then material optimization is achieved, but geometric limitations, added complexity, and added mass result
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple materials and fabrication operations into a single additive manufacturing process. This eliminates the need for separate welding, brazing, or mechanical joining operations, thereby removing geometric limitations imposed by joint fabrication and reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining material optimization through controlled multi-material deposition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical joining methods (welding, brazing) with a field-based additive manufacturing process. This substitution eliminates the need for physical joints and connections, thereby removing geometric limitations associated with joint fabrication, reducing structural complexity, and minimizing added mass while still achieving optimized multi-material performance.
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 the creation of shields with optimized magnetic properties, such as high permeability and saturation, achieving effective electromagnetic shielding with reduced complexity and mass, while allowing for geometric flexibility and improved performance in containing magnetic flux.
Implementation Method 1
depositing the at least one powderized feedstock in a vertical orientation using the determined at least one printing parameter to additively manufacture an electromagnetic shield
Implementation Method 2
depositing the at least one powderized feedstock in a vertical orientation using the determined at least one printing parameter to additively manufacture
Implementation Method 3
laser power is tuned to optimize magnetic saturation, coercivity, and magnetic permeability of the electromagnetic shield
Implementation Method 4
laser power is tuned to optimize magnetic saturation, coercivity, and magnetic permeability of the electromagnetic shield
Implementation Method 5
post-processing the electromagnetic shield by at least one of stress relief anneal, hot isostatic pressing, full anneal, and surface finishing
Implementation Method 6
post-processing the electromagnetic shield by at least one of stress relief anneal, hot isostatic pressing, full anneal, and surface finishing
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of additively manufacturing multi-material electromagnetic shields are described. Additive manufacturing processes use co-deposition to incorporate multiple materials and/or microstructures selected to achieve specified shield magnetic properties. Geometrically complex shields can be manufactured with alternating shielding materials optimized for the end use application. The microstructures of the printed shields can be tuned by optimizing the print parameters.