Workpiece Assembly Alignment for Batch Additive Repair Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing additive manufacturing methods are labor-intensive and inefficient for repairing or upgrading damaged machine components like compressor blades, leading to inefficiencies and high costs due to the need for tedious post-processing and inability to handle multiple components in a batch process.
Innovation Solution
A workpiece-assembly system aligns multiple components with a common build plane, allowing simultaneous additive manufacturing by ensuring precise alignment of workpiece-interfaces with the build plane, reducing recoater failures, and enabling efficient batch processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional welding/cladding technique is used for blade repair, then repair material can be bonded to the repair surface, but tedious post-processing machining and polishing is required to achieve target geometry and surface finish
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming repair blocks with near-net-shape geometry before bonding them to the blade surface. This allows the majority of the geometric form to be established beforehand, eliminating the need for extensive post-processing machining and polishing after bonding, thus reducing post-processing time while maintaining bond strength
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical welding/cladding processes with a bonding process that uses pre-formed repair blocks. This substitution eliminates the need for high-energy mechanical welding and subsequent heavy material removal, achieving both strong bonding and reduced post-processing requirements
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional repair processes are used on single blades at a time, then detailed work can be performed on each blade, but labor costs and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple blade repair operations into a single batch processing step by bonding multiple repair blocks simultaneously onto multiple blades that are clamped together. This allows all blades to receive repair material and undergo curing in one operation, dramatically increasing productivity while maintaining consistent precision across all blades through uniform bonding conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal repair system where a single bonding setup can handle multiple blades of the same type simultaneously. The fixture and bonding process are designed to accommodate multiple workpieces, making the system multi-functional and capable of processing entire blade sets in one operation rather than requiring separate operations for each blade
3Manufacturing precision
If additive manufacturing is used to print on pre-existing workpieces, then near net shape components can be achieved, but precise alignment of workpiece-interfaces with the build plane is required to reduce recoater failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-aligning multiple blades to a common reference plane before bonding the repair blocks. Alignment fixtures and reference surfaces are established beforehand to ensure all workpiece-interfaces are positioned correctly relative to the build plane, preventing recoater failures during the additive manufacturing process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces alignment fixtures and reference surfaces as intermediary elements between the blades and the additive manufacturing system. These intermediaries provide a common reference framework that simplifies the alignment process, ensuring all workpieces are properly positioned without requiring complex direct measurement and adjustment systems
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are workpiece-assemblies, and systems and methods for aligning a plurality of workpieces (112) with a build plane (116). A system may include an alignment plate (402), one or more elevating blocks (404), and a workpiece-assembly (108). A workpiece-assembly (108) may include a build plate (110) that has a plurality of workpiece docks (410), a plurality of workpiece shoes (414) that have a slot (506) configured to receive a portion of one or more workpieces (112) respectively inserted or insertable into the plurality of workpiece docks (410), a plurality of biasing members (516) respectively situated or situatable between the build plate (110) and the plurality of workpiece shoes (414) so as to exert a biasing force upon the workpiece shoes (414), and one or more clamping mechanisms (412) coupled or couplable to the build plate (110) and operable to secure the plurality of workpiece shoes (414) within the respective workpiece docks (410).