Robotic Additive Manufacturing System With Shared Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current additive manufacturing systems, particularly those employing stereolithography techniques like CLIP, face challenges in achieving high throughput and efficient processing of build platforms and objects, lacking integrated solutions for rapid production and cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A robotic additive manufacturing system with a build platform dispensing and buffering assembly, a cleaning apparatus, and a controller that operates a robot to manage the movement and processing of build platforms, including a drip tray, to facilitate efficient production and cleaning, with a ratio of multiple additive manufacturing apparatus to cleaning apparatus to enhance productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single additive manufacturing apparatus is used, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the additive manufacturing process into separate functional modules: multiple additive manufacturing apparatus (build modules) and a shared cleaning apparatus. This segmentation allows parallel production while managing complexity through modular design, where each build module can operate independently but shares common support infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning apparatus serves multiple build platforms simultaneously, acting as a universal resource that handles post-processing for all additive manufacturing apparatus. This multi-functionality reduces the need for dedicated cleaning stations for each builder, thereby increasing productivity without proportionally increasing system complexity.
2Productivity
If build platforms are manually processed, then ease of operation is maintained, but productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automated robotic manipulation that enables build platforms to be automatically transferred between additive manufacturing apparatus and the cleaning apparatus without manual intervention. The robot autonomously manages the workflow, allowing the system to service itself and maintain continuous operation, thereby dramatically increasing processing speed while reducing the need for manual handling.
3Productivity
If cleaning apparatus capacity matches additive manufacturing capacity, then operational simplicity is maintained, but productivity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous productive action by having more additive manufacturing apparatus than cleaning apparatus capacity. While the cleaning apparatus processes platforms at a certain rate, multiple builders ensure that a steady stream of completed platforms is always available for cleaning. This creates a continuous workflow where the cleaning apparatus operates at full capacity without idle time, maximizing overall system throughput despite the imbalance in apparatus numbers.
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 system enables high-throughput additive manufacturing by automating the retrieval, production, cleaning, and buffering of build platforms, improving the efficiency and scalability of stereolithography processes, particularly with CLIP techniques, by ensuring continuous operation and effective handling of objects and platforms.
Implementation Method 1
A group of additive manufacturing techniques sometimes referred to as 'stereolithography' create a three-dimensional object by the sequential polymerization of a light polymerizable resin
Data Source
AI summary
An additive manufacturing system includes: (a) a build platform dispensing assembly carrying a plurality of build platforms; (b) at least two additive manufacturing apparatus, each apparatus configured for receiving a removable build platform on which objects can be produced; (c) a build platform buffering assembly configured for removably receiving at least one build platform on which an object has been produced; (d) a cleaning apparatus; and (e) a robot operatively associated with each cleaning apparatus, the at least two additive manufacturing apparatus, the build platform dispensing assembly, and the build platform buffering assembly.