Terrestrial and space-based manufacturing systems

• US 10,401,832 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2016
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Redwire Space Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Made In Space, Inc.
• Inventors: Snyder, Michael, Dunn, Jason, Kemmer, Aaron, Chen, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Grun, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US15/089,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20160243759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/20 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/35 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/357 Recycling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/364 Conditioning of environment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/379 Handling of additively manufactured objects, e.g. using robots
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/68 by incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or layers , e.g. foam blocks mould constructions therefor B29C33/12; joining preformed parts by moulding B29C65/70
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35134 3-D cad-cam
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49007 Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A system including an additive manufacturing device to perform at least one additive manufacturing process and to include a prefabricated component during the at least one additive manufacturing process to accelerate build completion of a produced object. Another system and a method are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an additive manufacturing device configured to perform at least one additive manufacturing process utilizing at least one of layer by layer deposition and raster pattern deposition of material and to include a bulk volume component during the at least one additive manufacturing process instead of an additive manufactured component made during the at least one additive manufacturing process to accelerate build completion of a produced object; and

at least one of a robotic arm and a conveyor device configured to enable the produced object to be created from multiple materials via more than the at least one additive manufacturing process by at least one of manipulation of the produced object with the robotic arm, placement of the bulk volume component with the robotic arm, and transport of at least one of the produced object and the bulk volume component;

a plurality of end effectors interchangeably attachable to an end of the robotic arm wherein at least a first end effector of the plurality of end effectors comprises a gripper device to at least place the bulk volume component and a second end effector of the plurality of end effectors comprises a filament extruder deposit the material for least one of the layer by layer deposition and the raster pattern deposition; and

an end effector storage area, to hold the plurality of end effectors, configured to be accessible by the robotic arm to retrieve at least one of the plurality of end effectors;

wherein the bulk volume component is at least one of a bulk volume of at least one of a same material being applied during the at least one additive manufacturing process, a different material, and a bulk volume with an embedded part that comprises at least one of a circuit board, battery, a wire, and an electrical component that shares functionality with at least a portion of the produced object.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one additive manufacturing process comprises at least one of a polymer-based additive manufacturing process and a metal casting additive manufacturing process.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor device transports the produced object from a build area where the at least one additive manufacturing process occurs to a retrieval area where the product is retrieved.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor device transports the produced object during production from a first build area for the at least one additive manufacturing process to a second build area for a second additive manufacturing process.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the additive manufacturing device comprises a plurality of additive manufacturing devices wherein each additive manufacturing device performs a particular additive manufacturing process.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a recycler to convert the produced object into feedstock for use with the at least one additive manufacturing process.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a housing wherein the additive manufacturing device further comprises a housing within which the additive manufacturing device and at least one of a robotic arm and a conveyor device are located.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one feedstock cartridge, each feedstock cartridge comprising a different type of at least material and configuration of material as feedstock.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one storage area to hold the bulk volume component prior to placement of the bulk volume component during the at least one additive manufacturing process.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a build area where the at least one additive manufacturing process occurs and an environmental control unit regulates an environment at the build area.

11. The system according to claim 7, further comprising a user interface and a product receiving area, wherein the housing is arranged to separate a build area during the at least one additive manufacturing process from at least one of a user interface and a product receiving area.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the user interface receives an input to determine the produced object to be manufactured with the additive manufacturing device.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein a third end effector of the plurality of end effectors is configured to provide for plating, a fourth end effector of the plurality of end effectors is configured to provide for polishing, a fifth end effector of the plurality of end effectors is configured to provide for coating, a sixth end effector of the plurality of end effectors is configured to provide for heat treating, a seventh end effector of the plurality of end effectors is configured to provide for sintering, and an eighth end effector of the plurality of end effectors is configured to provide for annealing.

14. A manufacturing system for producing an object, the manufacturing system comprising;

an additive manufacturing device to perform at least one additive manufacturing process creating at least a portion of the object through a first end effector that comprises a filament extruder;

a second end effector that comprises a gripper device to attach to a bulk volume component to place the prefabricated bulk volume component as a second portion of the object and further configured to remove the object from a build surface; and

an arm to which at least one of the first end effector and the second end effector attaches to provide for at least one of the at least one additive manufacturing process and attaching to the bulk volume, the arm is maneuverable about the object;

wherein the bulk volume component is at least one of a bulk volume of at least one of a same material being applied during the at least one additive manufacturing process, a different material, and a bulk volume with an embedded part that comprises at least one of a circuit board, battery, a wire, and an electrical component that shares functionality with at least a portion of the produced object.

15. The manufacturing system according to claim 14, further comprising a build surface.

16. The manufacturing system according to claim 14, further comprising at least one storage area to hold the bulk volume component prior to placement of the bulk volume component as the second portion of the object by the manipulator.

17. The manufacturing system according to claim 14, wherein the bulk volume component comprises a bulk volume of at least one of a same material being applied with the at least one additive manufacturing process and a different material to accelerate production of the produced object.

18. The manufacturing system according to claim 14, further comprising a recycler to convert the object into feedstock for use with the at least one additive manufacturing process.

19. The manufacturing system according to claim 14, further comprising an environmental control unit to regulate an environment at the build area.

20. The manufacturing system according to claim 14, wherein the additive manufacturing device further comprises:

an articulating arm;

a plurality of end effectors, each end effector of the plurality of end effectors autonomously attachable to the articulating arm to perform at least one of a manufacturing and assembly process; and

at least one feedstock cartridge located as a part of a housing, each feedstock cartridge comprising a different type of at least material and configuration of material as feedstock;

wherein feedstock is provided through the articulating arm and the at least one end effector to create the produced object.

21. The manufacturing system according to claim 15, wherein the build area comprises a tray movable from the build area to a product receiving area when the additive manufacturing process is complete.

22. The manufacturing system according to claim 14, further comprising a user interface to receive an input to determine the object to be manufactured with the additive manufacturing device.

23. The manufacturing system according to claim 15, further comprising a housing to separate the build area during the at least one additive manufacturing processes from a user interface and a product receiving area.