Tangential Manufacturing System Centrifugal Material Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current machining methods are inefficient in shaping, cutting, and finishing solid materials, as they require tools that need frequent changes and generate heat, causing thermal expansion and vibrations, which can lead to errors and increased costs, especially in space-based manufacturing where resources are limited.
Innovation Solution
A tangential manufacturing system that spins a workpiece at high speeds, using centripetal force and energy release agents (physical, chemical, or thermal) to eject material tangentially, which is then directed to form a new article on a substrate, eliminating the need for tools and minimizing heat and vibration issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional machining tools are used to shape and cut solid materials, then material removal can be achieved, but tools require frequent changes and generate heat causing thermal expansion and vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical cutting tools with a laser beam as the machining tool. The laser beam melts and removes material through thermal energy rather than mechanical contact, eliminating tool wear, tool changes, and mechanically-induced vibrations. This substitution maintains high productivity while improving dimensional accuracy by eliminating the harmful effects of tool-generated heat and vibrations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions of material (solid to liquid to vapor) through laser heating to achieve material removal. The laser beam heats the workpiece material to its melting point and beyond, causing it to melt and then vaporize, ejecting material as a plasma plume. This phase transition-based machining eliminates the need for mechanical tool contact, thereby preventing tool wear and thermally-induced dimensional errors.
2Power
If high powered lasers are used to melt and remove material, then cutting and shaping capability is improved, but heat generation causes thermal expansion and vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs pulsed laser operation rather than continuous laser beam application. The laser delivers high power in short, periodic pulses, allowing the material to melt and eject between pulses. This periodic action enables high cutting capability during the pulse duration while providing cooling intervals that minimize cumulative heat accumulation and thermal expansion in the workpiece.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the molten material from the workpiece immediately after laser heating by applying a gas jet or relying on centrifugal force from rotating the workpiece. This rapid extraction of molten material prevents the heat from conducting deeply into the workpiece, thereby reducing thermal zone size and minimizing heat distortion and thermal expansion.
3Manufacturing precision
If material is removed by melting and ejection, then shaping precision can be achieved, but equipment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a rotating workpiece configuration that allows a single laser beam to machine different surfaces and features of the workpiece during rotation. The centrifugal force from rotation naturally directs molten material away from the workpiece, eliminating the need for complex debris removal systems. This multi-functional approach achieves shaping precision while minimizing equipment complexity by using the workpiece rotation itself for both positioning and material ejection.
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
This system enables high-speed, precise, and efficient material removal and shaping without tools, reducing heat distortion and vibrations, and is particularly advantageous for space-based manufacturing by allowing for flexible material processing with minimal equipment.
Implementation Method 1
spins a workpiece at high speeds, using centripetal force and energy release agents (physical, chemical, or thermal) to eject material tangentially
Implementation Method 2
apply a laser beam to a rotating workpiece tangential to the path of rotation with a suitable tolerance while the light is shifted relative to the workpiece. The irradiated portion of the workpiece is melted
Implementation Method 3
The irradiated portion of the workpiece is melted and the molten material is removed by gas air or jet
Data Source
AI summary
Manufacturing system (100) comprises only a few essential components, including: the workpiece(s) (110); the fixtures, or workpiece holding means, (120); the centrifuge (130), including a base (140) and axle (150); the release system (160), preferably a laser source; the containment structure (170); the accretion system, including an accretion substrate (180); and the control system. In operation, the release system directs a focused beam (190) of energy or solid particles to the surface of the workpiece to weaken the bonds of the surface material, and in cooperation with the centrifugal force, induced by the radial motion of the centrifuge, to break the surface material bonds and eject material into a particle path (200) which is directed to the accretion substrate. Thus, in its most essential inventive aspect, the operational and structural scheme of the system entails that the fixtures attach the workpiece to the centrifuge; the release system adds the energy to release material from the workpiece; the containment structure provides a controlled environment and prevents materials and gases from entering into the process area as contaminants or leaving the containment structure as hazards; the accretion controls the accretion process and the accretion substrate; and the control system integrates the actions of the various components of the machine.