Stereolithography Joining Element Fracture Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual removal of supports in stereolithographically produced three-dimensional objects is labor-intensive, inconsistent, and affects the quality of cast pieces, as it requires cutting tools that can cause recesses and varying cutting stresses depending on material type, making it difficult to achieve uniform quality and efficient removal.
Innovation Solution
A method for computer graphic design that includes pre-established fracture areas in joining elements connecting supports to the object, allowing for easy and quick detachment without cutting tools, with the ability to design the shape, size, and position of these elements to adapt to material characteristics, ensuring consistent detachment and improved object quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If supports are removed manually by cutting, then supports can be detached from the model, but the removal process is labor-intensive and produces inconsistent results with varying cutting stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The joining elements are designed in advance with pre-established fracture areas during the computer graphic design phase. These fracture areas are strategically positioned and dimensioned to ensure controlled detachment later, eliminating the need for manual cutting operations and ensuring consistent results across all support removals
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between support and model is segmented into a distinct joining element with a predefined fracture area. This segmentation allows the joining element to be designed independently with specific geometric characteristics that facilitate easy detachment while protecting the main model, separating the support function from the model integrity
2Manufacturing precision
If supports are cut close to the model surface, then fewer projections remain on the finished piece, but cutting tools create recesses and void areas in the model
Solution Approach 1:
The joining element acts as an intermediary component between the support and the model. It absorbs the detachment operation, allowing supports to be removed without direct cutting contact with the model surface. The fracture area within the joining element becomes the designated separation point, protecting the model from cutting tool damage
Solution Approach 2:
The problematic cutting operation is extracted from the model removal process and relocated to the joining element. By designing the fracture area in the joining element rather than cutting the model directly, the harmful cutting action is separated from the valuable model, allowing easy support removal without creating recesses in the finished piece
3Strength
If different material types are used for supports, then support strength can be optimized, but cutting stress varies making consistent removal difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The design parameters of the joining element (geometry, fracture area dimensions, position) are adjusted based on the support material type and required strength. This allows optimization of support strength for different materials while maintaining a consistent removal mechanism through the pre-designed fracture area, making the removal process adaptable to various material characteristics
4Adaptability or versatility
If manual cutting is used for support removal, then flexibility in handling different materials is possible, but execution time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
All necessary design considerations for support removal are performed in advance during the computer graphic design phase. The joining elements are pre-configured with appropriate fracture areas tailored to different material requirements, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual assessment and cutting operations during production, thereby significantly improving productivity
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, tool-free removal of supports with reduced time and costs, ensuring consistent quality and design flexibility, allowing for precise control over the remaining surface quality after support removal.
Implementation Method 1
The resin layer included between the bottom of the tank and the plane surface of the modelling head is selectively exposed to a laser beam coming from a laser light emitter arranged under the bottom of the tank... The resin is thus exposed to electromagnetic radiation only in the areas corresponding to the volume of the object to be made and during solidification it adheres to the plane surface of the modelling head
Data Source
AI summary
A three-dimensional object (1) made by way of a stereolithography process, includes a plurality of supports (3) that are connected to the body (2) of the object through joining elements (4) in each one of which it is possible to identify a shaped area (5), recessed with respect to the external surface of the joining element (4) and having the bottom corner (6) that delimits a pre-established fracture area (7) for the detachment of the support (3). Each one of the joining elements (4) includes a first body (8) projecting from the external surface that delimits the body (2) of the object and a second body (9) projecting from the support (3), the bodies (8) and (9) being connected to each other so as to define the shaped area (5) whose bottom corner (6) delimits the pre-established fracture area (7). Each one of the bodies (8, 9) has its convex curved external surface that constitutes part of the external surface of a sphere or an ellipsoid.