Thin Metal Plate Additive Manufacturing With Post-Cut Substrate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Additive manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printing, face challenges in producing thin metal plates with large dimensions and complex shapes, resulting in surfaces with inferior finish quality and requiring special tools to prevent deformation, and often necessitate subsequent heat treatments to relax manufacturing-induced stresses.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a substrate with a thicker initial thickness, where a computer model guides additive manufacturing of a second portion onto a main surface, followed by cutting the substrate to achieve a thin plate with the second portion securely attached, using techniques like laser sintering or electron beam melting, and optionally incorporating grooves or channels to facilitate the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additive manufacturing is used to produce thin metal plates with large dimensions, then complex shapes can be manufactured, but the surface finish quality deteriorates with rough patches and irregularities
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into two distinct stages: first manufacturing a thick substrate with the complex three-dimensional portion using additive manufacturing, then separately machining the thin plate portion from the substrate. This segmentation allows each stage to optimize for its specific requirements - additive manufacturing for complex geometry and machining for surface finish quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The thick substrate is prepared in advance with the complex portion fully formed before the thin plate portion is machined. This preliminary action of creating the substrate with adequate thickness provides a stable base that prevents deformation during subsequent machining operations, while still enabling the final thin plate geometry.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additive manufacturing is used for large thin plates, then complex shapes can be obtained, but deformations and twisting occur due to strong local energy contributions
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is manufactured with a thickness greater than the final thin plate requirement, providing structural stability during the additive manufacturing process. This preliminary thicker state prevents deformations and twisting that would occur if the plate were made thin from the start, while still achieving the final thin geometry through subsequent machining.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate is segmented into a thick substrate portion (for stability during manufacturing) and a thin final portion (for the desired application). This segmentation allows the manufacturing process to work with a stable, thick structure while delivering the required thin final product.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additive manufacturing is used for thin metal plates, then complex shapes can be produced, but heat treatments are required to relax manufacturing-induced stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is divided into additive manufacturing of the substrate and separate machining of the thin plate portion. This segmentation eliminates the need for heat treatment by avoiding the direct additive manufacturing of thin plates, which is the step that generates manufacturing-induced stresses requiring relaxation.
Solution Approach 2:
The problematic step of directly additive-manufacturing thin plates is extracted and replaced with a machining operation on a thicker substrate. This extraction removes the source of manufacturing-induced stresses that would require subsequent heat treatment, simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
4Stability of the object's composition
If special tools are used to prevent deformation during additive manufacturing of thin plates, then plate stability can be maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is prepared with a thickness greater than the final thin plate requirement before additive manufacturing begins. This preliminary thicker state provides inherent stability during the manufacturing process without requiring special tools or equipment, while still enabling the final thin geometry through subsequent machining.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the plate thin first and then preventing deformation, the approach is inverted: the substrate is made thick first to provide stability, and then the thin portion is machined. This inversion eliminates the need for special anti-deformation tools while achieving the same stability goal.
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 method enables the production of thin metal sheets with complex shapes and large dimensions, achieving a higher finish quality without deformation, reducing the need for subsequent machining and heat treatments, and allowing for precise control over the shape of the final product.
Implementation Method 1
the melting of the powder is done by a laser beam or an electron beam
Implementation Method 2
the melting of the powder is done by a laser beam or an electron beam
Implementation Method 3
additive manufacturing of the second portion from the main surface, so as to secure said main surface and said second portion
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing an equipment part, comprising the following steps: providing a substrate, an upper face of which includes a large main surface; providing a computer model comprising spatial coordinates of said main surface and a second portion of the equipment part; then additive manufacturing of the second portion from the main surface, so as to secure said main surface and said second portion; then cutting in a thickness of the substrate to obtain a thin plate including the main surface secured to the second portion of the equipment part.