Centrifugal Separator With Reversible Build Platform
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Solution Overview
Problem
Centrifugal cleaning of additively manufactured thermoforming molds, especially hollow molds, is challenging due to the difficulty in effectively cleaning both the outer surfaces and internal cavities, leading to material waste and contaminated wash liquids.
Innovation Solution
A centrifugal separator with a rotor and build platform mount assemblies that allow for dual orientations of the build platforms, enabling effective separation of residual resin from both external and internal surfaces through centrifugal separation, utilizing resin flow features to channel and direct the resin flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If centrifugal cleaning is used to clean the outer surfaces of additively manufactured molds, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but cleaning of internal cavities becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The build platform is made reversible, allowing it to be rotated 180 degrees between cleaning cycles. This dynamic repositioning enables the centrifugal cleaning system to access both the outer surfaces and internal cavities of hollow molds by alternating which surface faces the centrifugal force, thereby resolving the contradiction between cleaning efficiency and cleaning accessibility
2Loss of substance
If molds are made hollow to minimize material usage, then material waste is reduced, but cleaning complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reversible build platform enables dynamic repositioning of hollow molds, allowing centrifugal cleaning to effectively reach internal cavities that would otherwise be inaccessible. This solves the cleaning complexity issue while maintaining the material efficiency benefits of hollow mold design
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the orientation parameter of the build platform by 180 degrees between cleaning cycles. This parameter change allows the same centrifugal cleaning mechanism to effectively clean both external and internal surfaces of hollow molds without increasing cleaning complexity
3Reliability
If traditional washing is used to clean molds, then cleaning effectiveness is maintained, but wash liquid contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the chemical washing process with a mechanical centrifugal cleaning process. By using centrifugal force to remove residual resin mechanically, the system maintains cleaning effectiveness while eliminating the generation of contaminated wash liquids that would require further processing
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 solution enables efficient cleaning of both external and internal surfaces of additively manufactured objects, reducing material waste and contamination, while minimizing the material used for molds by allowing for the reuse of hollow molds.
Implementation Method 1
A centrifugal separator with a rotor and build platform mount assemblies that allow for dual orientations of the build platforms, enabling effective separation of residual resin from both external and internal surfaces through centrifugal separation
Data Source
AI summary
A centrifugal separator for separating residual resin from additively manufactured objects, the objects carried on a build surface of a build platform on which the objects were additively manufactured. The separator includes: an outer vessel; a rotor in the vessel, the rotor defining a center axis of rotation; a drive assembly operatively associated with the rotor; and a plurality of build platform mount assemblies operatively associated with the rotor, each mount assembly configured to receive one of the build platforms in (i) a first orientation in which the build surfaces face toward the axis of rotation, and (ii) a second orientation in which the build surfaces face away from the axis of rotation.