Rotating Laser Gantry for Large Diameter 3D Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional additive manufacturing methods, such as selective laser sintering and selective laser melting, face challenges in producing large diameter contoured or annular parts with thin cross-sections, particularly due to difficulties in maintaining consistency and quality on a production scale.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for Selective Laser Fusing that includes a platform movable in at least one degree of freedom, a gantry with a dispenser and a laser, a positive pressure chamber surrounding the laser, and a controller that rotates the gantry and dispenser to deposit and fuse powdered material in a controlled manner, allowing for precise layer formation of 3D parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional selective laser sintering or melting methods are used for large diameter parts, then the parts can be manufactured with complex geometries, but the consistency and quality cannot be maintained on a production scale
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by making the laser, dispenser, and press rotatable around a stationary powder bed, rather than moving the powder bed under a stationary laser. This inversion allows the system to efficiently manufacture large diameter annular parts while maintaining consistent quality through controlled rotational motion and uniform material deposition.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic rotational motion of the laser and dispenser assembly around the powder bed, allowing continuous manufacturing of large diameter parts. The rotational dynamics enable consistent material deposition and laser processing across the entire part circumference, maintaining quality while increasing production scale capability.
2Area of stationary object
If a stationary laser with mirror mechanisms is used to guide beams over the powder bed, then the system can process large areas, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a stationary laser with complex mirror mechanisms to deflect beams across the powder bed, the patent inverts the approach by rotating the laser itself around the stationary powder bed. This eliminates the need for complex mirror mechanisms while maintaining the ability to process large areas, thereby reducing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the complex mirror mechanisms from the system by directly rotating the laser around the powder bed. This extraction simplifies the overall system architecture while preserving the large area processing capability.
3Shape
If large diameter annular parts with thin cross-sections are manufactured, then the part geometry is achieved, but material waste increases and operational cleanliness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using a stationary powder bed with controlled material deposition only where needed for large diameter annular parts. The rotational laser system precisely targets and processes only the required thin-walled geometry areas, minimizing material waste while maintaining operational cleanliness through localized 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
Enables efficient and consistent manufacturing of large diameter, thin-walled parts by reducing material waste and improving operational cleanliness, while maintaining quality and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a laser attached to the gantry and configured to emit a laser beam onto the powdered material
Implementation Method 2
selective laser sintering uses a laser to sinter material together
Implementation Method 3
selective laser melting is similar but uses a laser to fully melt (rather than sinter) the material together
Implementation Method 4
The positive pressure chamber is configured to fill the cavity with shielding gas
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for Selective Laser Fusing of a 3D part is disclosed. The system may comprise a platform, a gantry, a dispenser, a first press, a laser configured to emit a laser beam onto powdered material, a positive pressure chamber at least partially surrounding the laser, and a controller. The controller may be configured to: (a) receive data that includes a representation of the 3D part sliced into a plurality of layers; (b) rotate on a path about an axis either the platform or simultaneously each of the dispenser, the first press, the positive pressure chamber and the laser; (c) activate the dispenser to deposit the powdered material during (b); (d) activate the laser to emit during (b) the laser beam onto the powdered material to Fuse the powdered material into a layer of the plurality of layers; and (e) repeat (b)-(d) to make the 3D part.