Tool Head Positional Referencing for Multi-Tool 3D Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Advanced manufacturing systems with both material-adding and material-removing tool heads require precise calibration of three-dimensional locations within the build space to ensure accurate alignment and operation of multiple tool heads during the construction of a solid object, which is challenging due to the complexity of multi-axis motion control and varying tool types.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an automated calibration process using actuator-deployed contact probes and tool center point sensors to establish precise positional references, allowing for the calculation of offsets and ensuring accurate alignment among tool heads, even in environments with varying temperatures and tool types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If automated calibration process using contact probes and sensors is implemented, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A contact probe is introduced as an intermediary tool to facilitate the calibration process. The probe physically contacts reference features on the build plate and tool heads, enabling precise measurement of positions and orientations without requiring complex non-contact sensing systems. This mechanical intermediary simplifies the overall calibration system while maintaining high precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical alignment procedures with an automated sensing-based calibration process. Instead of manually adjusting and mechanically aligning multiple tool heads, the system uses contact probes and sensors to automatically measure and calculate positional offsets, significantly reducing the complexity of mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
2Reliability
If precise calibration of multiple tool heads is performed, then reliability is improved, but measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The calibration process is segmented into distinct measurement steps: first measuring the build plate reference features, then measuring each tool head's position relative to the build plate, and finally calculating offset values. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high overall reliability by ensuring each individual measurement step meets precision requirements, rather than requiring all measurements to be perfectly accurate simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by using measured positional data to calculate and apply offset corrections to the motion control system. The contact probe measurements provide feedback about actual tool head positions, which are then used to adjust the coordinate transformation matrices, ensuring that subsequent operations achieve the required reliability despite variations in tool positioning.
3Ease of operation
If automated calibration process is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurements by having the contact probe measure reference features on the build plate and tool heads during initial setup. These preliminary measurements establish the baseline coordinate systems and offset values needed for subsequent automated operations, enabling the system to quickly adapt to different tool configurations without time-consuming manual calibration each time.
Data Source
AI summary
Applied within an automated robotic manufacturing system that includes additive manufacturing capabilities, methods and enabling devices are disclosed for achieving precise multi-dimension positional alignment among a plurality of diverse took that are involved in collaboratively constructing a solid object. The enabling devices according to various embodiments include an automatically deployed contact sensing probe and a tool center point sensor that detects contact with tools in multiple axes. At least one disclosed method advantageously utilizes both sensing devices in complement.