Non-planar Base Plate for Additive Layer Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Additive layer manufacturing (ALM) processes face challenges in building components with non-planar surfaces, as existing methods require additional support structures that increase material usage, processing time, and necessitate an extra machining step to remove the support after the build.
Innovation Solution
A powder bed ALM apparatus with a base plate having a non-planar surface profile and re-coater blades that match the profile, allowing for consistent powder deposition across curved or stepped surfaces, eliminating the need for external support structures by ensuring even layer thickness and allowing for direct fusion of layers without additional support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a flat base plate with a rigid re-coater blade is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the top layer thickness cannot be maintained consistently across non-planar surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The base plate is designed with a non-planar surface profile that matches the curvature of the component being manufactured. The re-coater blade is shaped to correspond with this curved surface profile, allowing it to maintain a consistent distance from the build surface across the entire area, thereby ensuring uniform layer thickness on curved or stepped geometries.
2Reliability
If external support structures are added to hold unsupported parts, then the component can be built, but material usage and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the need for external support structures by incorporating the support geometry directly into the base plate itself. The base plate includes integrated support features such as ledges or barriers that hold unsupported parts of the component during building, eliminating the need for separate support structures and subsequent removal operations.
3Reliability
If external support structures are added to hold unsupported parts, then the component can be built, but an extra machining step is required to remove the support
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the need for external support structures by incorporating the support geometry directly into the base plate itself. The base plate includes integrated support features such as ledges or barriers that hold unsupported parts of the component during building, eliminating the need for separate support structures and subsequent removal operations.
4Manufacturing precision
If a rigid re-coater blade is used with powder material, then the blade maintains a constant distance from the solid body, but the layer thickness cannot be adjusted for varying surface heights
Solution Approach 1:
The base plate is designed with a non-planar surface profile that matches the curvature of the component being manufactured. The re-coater blade is shaped to correspond with this curved surface profile, allowing it to maintain a consistent distance from the build surface across the entire area, thereby ensuring uniform layer thickness on curved or stepped geometries.
Solution Approach 2:
The base plate incorporates local variations in surface height and curvature to match the specific geometry being manufactured. Different regions of the base plate have different profiles to accommodate varying surface heights, allowing the rigid re-coater blade to maintain consistent layer thickness across the entire build area despite the non-uniform underlying surface.
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 reduces material usage, processing time, and eliminates the need for post-processing support removal, enhancing dimensional accuracy and simplifying the manufacturing process for components with complex geometries.
Implementation Method 1
The first re-coater blade is configured such that it can traverse across the build surface, for providing a layer of powder having a consistent depth across the non-planar build surface
Implementation Method 2
regions are selectively treated by the application of, typically, laser sintering, laser melting or electron beam melting
Implementation Method 3
laser melting to ferrous or non-ferrous alloys
Implementation Method 4
electron beam melting to non-ferrous alloys
Implementation Method 5
the base plate comprises a build surface for receiving powder, and the build surface comprises a non-planar surface profile for complementing the shape of a component non-planar surface. The first re-coater blade has a blade profile that corresponds with the non-planar surface profile of the build surface
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2d
Figure 3a
AI summary
A powder bed additive layer manufacturing apparatus is provided for manufacturing a component, the apparatus comprising a base plate (30) comprising a set of axes X, Y, Z and a first re-coater blade (36). The base plate comprises a build surface (34) for receiving powder, and the build surface (34) comprises a non-planar surface profile (32) for complementing the shape of a component non-planar surface. The first re-coater blade (36) has a blade profile that corresponds with a non-planar surface profile of the build surface. The first re-coater blade (36) is configurable such that it can traverse across the build surface (34), for providing a layer of powder having a consistent depth across the non-planar build surface (34) during the manufacturing process.