Pivoted Tension Support Rods for Additive Part Shape Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Additive manufacturing processes face challenges with internal stress and strain in parts due to thermal gradients, leading to irregularities and potential scrapping of non-conforming parts, as tension support rods accumulate stress and strain from layer contraction.
Innovation Solution
A support assembly with pivot joints at the attachment points of tension support rods to the base plate and the part, allowing rotation and reducing torque, enabling the rods to function as two-force members and alleviate stress, while maintaining mechanical connection and heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If tension support rods are rigidly fixed to the part and base plate, then the part shape is held stable, but stress and strain accumulate in the support rod leading to failure and part irregularities
Solution Approach 1:
The support rod is changed from a rigidly fixed structure to a dynamic structure with pivot joints at both ends, allowing it to rotate and adjust its position as the part contracts thermally. This dynamic adaptation prevents stress accumulation while maintaining shape stability, resolving the contradiction between stability and reliability.
2Manufacturing precision
If tension support rods are used to reduce deformation, then part shape accuracy is improved, but internal stress and strain accumulate affecting the support rod
Solution Approach 1:
By introducing pivot joints that allow rotational movement, the support rod can dynamically adjust to thermal contraction of the part without accumulating excessive stress. This maintains manufacturing precision while preventing stress buildup that would compromise the support rod.
3Strength
If the tension support rod is rigidly fixed, then mechanical connection strength is maximized, but the support rod cannot accommodate thermal contraction leading to failure
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot joints provide rotational degrees of freedom that allow the support rod to accommodate thermal contraction while maintaining strong mechanical connections. The joint design ensures that strength is preserved through proper socket and rod end configurations while enabling necessary movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the connection is changed from rigid to articulated, allowing the support rod to change its angular parameters in response to thermal contraction. This parameter change enables adaptability without sacrificing connection strength.
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 pivot joints reduce the risk of tension support rod failure and ensure parts conform to target shapes by minimizing internal stress and strain, preventing warping and deformation, and allowing for efficient heat dissipation during the build process.
Implementation Method 1
The tension support rod may also provide a heat sink for dissipating heat from the part to the base plate
Implementation Method 2
As deposited layers of a part cool, the material composition may cause the layers to thermally contract (or shrink) and/or distort due to temperature gradients and/or phase changes from liquid to solid
Data Source
AI summary
A support assembly includes a part and a tension support rod. The part is additively manufactured on a base plate and includes a series of stacked layers of material fused together. The tension support rod is attached to the base plate at a first attachment location and is attached to the part at a second attachment location. At least one of the first attachment location or the second attachment location comprises a pivot joint to enable movement of the tension support rod at the pivot joint.