Spatial Planning for Removable Support Volumes in Hybrid Manufacturing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current additive manufacturing technologies face challenges in designing an accessible support volume for metal parts, as the sacrificial support structures created during the process are often inaccessible to subtractive manufacturing tools, hindering efficient removal and leading to incomplete or unmanufacturable parts.

Innovation Solution

A method is developed to iteratively generate intermediate part designs that redistribute material within the initial design domain, calculating the inaccessibility of the support volume using a computer-based inaccessibility measure field, allowing for the generation of designs with accessible support volumes that can be efficiently removed through subtractive manufacturing processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If sacrificial support structures are created during additive manufacturing to dissipate excessive heat and ensure successful build, then manufacturing reliability is improved, but accessibility to support volume for subtractive manufacturing tools deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing reliabilityVSAvoidaccessibility to support volume

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of support volume accessibility before the additive manufacturing process completes. By calculating inaccessibility measures and generating modified designs in advance, the system ensures that support structures will be accessible to subtractive tools before manufacturing begins, eliminating the need for redesign after support entrapment occurs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback loop where inaccessibility measures are calculated for generated designs, and this information feeds back into the design generation process. The system iteratively modifies designs based on accessibility feedback, ensuring that support volumes remain accessible to subtractive manufacturing tools while maintaining their structural function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of manufacture

If support volume is made accessible for subtractive manufacturing tool removal, then ease of manufacture is improved, but design complexity increases due to material redistribution constraints

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of support removalVSAvoiddesign complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs automated algorithms that self-adjust design geometry to satisfy accessibility constraints. Rather than requiring manual intervention to balance manufacturability and design complexity, the system autonomously redistributes material within the design domain to create support volumes that are both functional and accessible, reducing the perceived complexity for users.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system modifies design parameters such as support volume geometry, material distribution, and structural density to achieve accessibility without fundamentally changing the overall design concept. By adjusting these parameters within the automated generation process, the system maintains design intent while ensuring manufacturability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If material is redistributed within the initial design domain to ensure support accessibility, then ease of manufacture is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesupport accessibilityVSAvoidmaterial redistribution precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces manual or trial-and-error material redistribution with an automated computational algorithm. This algorithm precisely calculates and implements material redistribution to satisfy accessibility constraints, eliminating the need for high-precision manual intervention and reducing the burden on manufacturing precision requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system approaches the material redistribution problem by considering additional design dimensions such as support volume positioning, orientation, and connectivity. By distributing material across multiple spatial dimensions and configurations, the system achieves accessibility without requiring extreme precision in any single dimension.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS11656602B2Physics-aware automatic spatial planning for subtractive and hybrid manufacturing

Publication Date: 2023.05.23 XEROX CORP

AI summary

A method includes receiving a representation of a near-net shape including a 3D part and a support volume. The method also includes calculating a measure of inaccessibility of the support volume by at least one subtractive tool assembly. The method also includes calculating a measure of change in a physical quantity of interest with respect to a change in the near-net shape. The method also includes constructing a physics-aware inaccessibility measure based at least partially upon the measure of inaccessibility, the measure of change, or both. The method also includes creating a plan to remove at least a portion of the support volume using the at least one subtractive tool assembly based at least partially upon the physics-aware inaccessibility measure.