Removable Platen Registration for Additive Manufacturing Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current additive manufacturing methods lack the ability to transfer and repair objects between machines and facilities efficiently, leading to production waste and increased costs due to lost build data and misalignment of objects during processing.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a registration feature that allows a removable platen with a partially manufactured object to be processed and re-engaged with the additive manufacturing system, maintaining positional accuracy through specific mating features like pins and holes, enabling object transfer between machines and facilities, and resuming manufacturing with precise layer placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the object is manufactured entirely on the base of the additive manufacturing system, then the manufacturing process is simple and continuous, but the object cannot be transferred to different machines or facilities for processing or repair
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing system is segmented into a removable platen and a base. The platen can be detached from the base, allowing the object to be transferred to different machines or facilities for processing or repair, while maintaining the ability to resume manufacturing on the same platen later.
Solution Approach 2:
The platen serves as an intermediary carrier between the base and external processing facilities. It enables the transfer of objects to different machines or facilities while maintaining positional accuracy through registration features, and allows resumption of manufacturing without requiring the object to remain on the base.
2Ease of repair
If the platen is removed from the base for processing or repair, then the object can be processed or repaired, but the build data and positional accuracy may be lost
Solution Approach 1:
Registration features (such as pins and holes, or notches) are pre-configured on the platen and base to establish a known reference position before removal. This preliminary setup ensures that when the platen is reattached, the object returns to its correct positional accuracy and orientation, preserving build data and enabling precise layer alignment for resumption of manufacturing.
3Ease of operation
If the object is removed from the base for processing, then processing operations can be performed, but the object may become misaligned during transfer and reinstallation
Solution Approach 1:
The registration features on the platen and base automatically align the object to the correct position during reattachment, without requiring manual intervention or complex alignment procedures. The mechanical features (pins fitting into holes, or notches engaging) self-align the object, ensuring positional accuracy is maintained while allowing flexible removal and reinstallation operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of making an object (42) includes partially additively manufacturing the object (42) onto a removable platen (40) using an additive manufacturing system, removing the platen (40) with the object (42) from a base (38) of the additive manufacturing system, processing the object (42) on the platen (40), inserting the platen (40) with the object (42) that has been processed into the additive manufacturing system or a different system, mating the platen (40) with the object (42) that has been processed to the base (38) of the additive manufacturing system or a base (38) of the different system using a registration feature, and manufacturing a layer onto the object (42) that has been processed.