Mobile Robotic Fabrication of Variable-Density 3D Metal Meshes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing three-dimensional metal meshes are limited by the need for sequential assembly and are constrained to planar geometries, making it difficult to achieve complex, structurally optimized steel-reinforced concrete structures with variable density and geometry.
Innovation Solution
A robotic setup with a multifunctional end-effector that integrates wire straightening, bending, feeding, cutting, and welding, allowing for digitally controlled fabrication of three-dimensional metal meshes with varying volume, curvature, and cell size, where the machine moves to build the structure while the element remains static, enabling automated production of non-standard meshes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional sequential assembly methods are used to create three-dimensional metal meshes, then the manufacturing process can be performed with simple equipment, but the production efficiency is low and complex geometries cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple manufacturing operations (wire feeding, bending, positioning, and welding) into a single integrated robotic end-effector system. This merging of functions allows the system to perform complex three-dimensional mesh fabrication in one automated process, dramatically improving productivity while the robot handles the complexity of coordinating all operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical assembly equipment with a programmable robotic system. The robotic manipulator with sophisticated control software substitutes for multiple separate mechanical devices, enabling high-speed automated fabrication of complex geometries that would be impossible with conventional mechanical assembly methods.
2Adaptability or versatility
If planar mesh production methods are used, then the manufacturing process is simple and cost-effective, but complex three-dimensional and variable density geometries cannot be produced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic robotic system that can adapt its motion and manipulation in real-time to create variable three-dimensional geometries. The robotic end-effector dynamically adjusts wire bending angles, positioning, and welding parameters based on programmable instructions, enabling the fabrication of complex spatial structures with variable cell densities that would be impossible with static planar production methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes programmable control to dynamically change geometric parameters (wire spacing, bending angles, mesh density, and three-dimensional positioning) during the manufacturing process. This parameter variability allows the system to produce diverse complex geometries from the same equipment, achieving geometric versatility without sacrificing manufacturing capability.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple successive steps are used to fabricate three-dimensional mesh structures, then each step can be optimized for its specific function, but the overall manufacturing time increases and process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a continuous automated manufacturing process where wire feeding, bending, positioning, and welding occur in an uninterrupted sequence performed by the robotic system. This eliminates the downtime and repositioning required in successive manual assembly steps, dramatically reducing total manufacturing time while the integrated control system maintains high precision through programmable motion control and real-time parameter adjustment.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the machine is static and the building element moves through the machine, then the manufacturing process is straightforward, but the range of fabricable geometries is limited and size restrictions apply
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional manufacturing paradigm by making the robotic fabrication system mobile and having it move to the building element rather than the element moving through a fixed machine. This inversion, implemented through a mobile robotic platform, enables the system to access complex geometries and large-scale structures in situ, dramatically expanding the range of fabricable structures while the robotic control system manages the complexity of mobile operation.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
Mobile manufacturing device and a Method for producing three-dimensional lattice or mesh structures, wherein the mobile manufacturing device is a mobile device adapted to move along a threedimensional structure to be produced, in particular while performing both translation and rotation movements in three-dimensional space, and wherein the mobile manufacturing device comprises a means for detection of its position relative to the dimensional structure to be produced, so that the mobile manufacturing device is able to produce the threedimensional structure as an autonomous robot.