Pin Array for Additive Manufacturing Part Extraction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 3D additive printing methods face challenges in efficiently removing completed parts from build plates without damaging the parts or the plates, particularly due to the strong bond between the print material and the build plate.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus featuring a pin array with rigid elongated pins that conform to the contour of the build part, allowing for stable support during the etching process of a sacrificial interposer, facilitating easy extraction of the build part.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If scraping is used to remove the 3D print from the build plate, then the part can be removed, but damage occurs to the 3D print or the build plate surface
Solution Approach 1:
A sacrificial interposer is introduced as an intermediary layer between the build plate and the printed part. The interposer is designed to be removed selectively through etching, allowing the printed part to be released from the build plate without direct contact or forceful removal methods that could cause damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution changes the physical-chemical parameters of the removal process by using selective etching. The interposer material is chosen to be chemically reactive to specific etchants, allowing removal through chemical parameter changes rather than mechanical force, thereby avoiding damage to both the printed part and build plate.
2Ease of operation
If EDM wire is used to excise the 3D printed part, then the part can be removed, but damage occurs to the build part and build plate, and elaborate machinery is required
Solution Approach 1:
The sacrificial interposer serves as a mediator that simplifies the removal process. Instead of using complex EDM machinery to directly separate the printed part from the build plate, the interposer is removed through simple chemical etching, and the printed part naturally detaches, eliminating the need for elaborate equipment.
3Ease of operation
If chemical etching is used to remove the sacrificial interposer, then the interposer can be removed, but the etching process timing must be precisely controlled to avoid damaging the build part
Solution Approach 1:
The interposer is designed with local quality differences - it has a sacrificial thickness beyond the desired final dimensions and is made of material that is selectively reactive to etchants. This local differentiation allows the etching process to remove only the interposer material while leaving the build part intact, reducing the need for precise timing control.
Solution Approach 2:
The sacrificial thickness is built into the interposer during the additive manufacturing process as a preliminary action. This pre-planned extra material layer ensures that even if etching continues for a extended period, the build part is protected because the interposer has already been designed to provide a safety buffer.
4Productivity
If build plates are reused, then resource efficiency is improved, but all print material must be completely removed which is tedious and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The sacrificial interposer acts as a removable intermediary that simplifies build plate cleaning. After the interposer is chemically etched away, the build plate surface is naturally exposed and ready for reuse without requiring tedious manual scraping or cleaning operations, significantly reducing preparation time for the next printing job.
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
The pin array provides a simplified and universal method for extracting build parts, ensuring minimal damage and efficient reuse of build plates by supporting the build part during etching and allowing for easy removal.
Implementation Method 1
Each pin includes a tip at one end configured to contact a surface of the build part and an opposite end adjacent a surface of the support plate. Each of the pins is movable relative to the support plate by a force acting on the tip
Implementation Method 2
A locking component is provided for engaging each of the plurality of elongated pins to lock the pins against movement in the vertical direction relative to the support plate
Implementation Method 3
The pins can be spring-biased to press the pins into solid contact with the build part and then locked to hold pins in place within the support plate
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method are provided for extracting a build part from an additive manufacturing machine. Upon completion of the build part by the additive manufacturing machine, a pin array is placed above the build part, the pin array including a plurality of pins slidably supported by a support plate for vertical movement relative to the support plate. The pin array is moved toward the build part so that the plurality of pins contact the build part and conform to the contour of the build part. The pins of the pin array are locked with the pins in contact with and conforming to the build part. The pin array and build part are inverted so that the build part is supported by the locked pins of the pin array. All of the pins of the array are locked simultaneously by a common locking component. The build plate can be formed on a sacrificial interposer plate that is removed by an etchant bath supported on the pin array when the build part is inverted.