Device and method for producing a product by free form forming

• US 20050017386A1
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fcubic AB
• Original Assignee: Fcubic AB
• Inventors: Harrysson, Urban
• Application Number:
  US10/866,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20050017386A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/40.100
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2037/90 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37005 Absence of tool accessories, material, like nails, staples, glue
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37215 Inspect application of solder paste, glue to workpiece

Abstract

Device and method for manufacturing a product from a base material. The device includes a means for applying superimposed layers of base material (3) on a support (1), and a member (4) for binding together the base material in selected portions of the base material in order to form a continuous product from the base material, wherein the support, and thereby the base material, and the binding member are arranged in a mutually displaceable way in order to transfer energy to and/or deposit a medium in different positions of the base material by means of the binding member. Furthermore, the device includes a unit (17) for detecting errors in the binding member (4) and a means (18) for compensating for such errors, on the basis of detected errors, in subsequent energy transfer to and/or deposition on the base material (3).

Claims

1. A device for manufacturing a product from a base material, comprising a means (2) for applying superimposed layers of base material (3) on a support (1) and a member (4) for binding together the base material in selected portions (5) of the base material in order to form a continuous product from the base material, wherein the support, and thereby the base material, and the binding member are arranged in a mutually displaceable way in order to transfer energy to and/or deposit a medium in different positions of the base material by means of the binding member,

wherein the device includes a unit (17) for detecting errors in the binding member (4), and a means (18) for compensating for such errors on the basis of detected errors in subsequent energy transfer to and/or deposition on the base material (3).

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the compensating means (18) is arranged for displacing the relative positions and/or orientations of the binding member (4) and the base material (3) in at least one direction in order to compensate for said detected errors.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the compensating means (18) is arranged for displacing the relative positions of the binding member (4) and the base material (3) in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which relative displacement of the binding member and the base material takes place during said energy transfer to and/or deposition on the medium.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein the detecting unit (17) comprises an optical instrument (19) for detecting said errors in the binding member (4).

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the binding member (4) includes a device (10) for depositing the medium on the base material within said selected portions (5) in order to substantially immediately accomplish the binding of the base material (3) or for preparing the base material so that a binding of the base material in a subsequent treatment is enabled.

6. Device according to claim 5, wherein the depositing device (10) exhibits a plurality of nozzles (12), arranged in one or several arrays (11), for emitting the medium.

7. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device includes a means (24) for transferring heat to the base material.

8. Device according to claim 4, wherein said optical instrument (19) is an optical gauge arranged at the binding member (4) for detecting a presence or an absence of energy emitted from the binding member.

9. Device according to claim 4 wherein said optical instrument (19) is an optical gauge arranged at the depositing device (10) for detecting a presence or an absence of medium emitted from the depositing device at one or several of the nozzles (12).

10. Device according to claim 9, wherein the optical gauge (19), in the presence of emitted medium, is arranged for determining at least one property of the medium which is related to the function of the depositing device.

11. A method for manufacturing a product from a base material, comprising:

to apply layers of base material (3) on top of each other;

to bind the base material together in selected portions thereof into a continuous product by means of using a binding member (4),

wherein the base material and the binding member are displaced mutually in accordance with a selected motion pattern in order to transfer energy to and/or deposit a medium in different positions of the base material by means of the binding member,

wherein errors in the binding member are detected, and that compensation for such errors, on the basis of detected errors, is performed in subsequent energy transfer to and/or deposition on the base material.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein the relative positions and/or orientations of the binding member (4) and the base material (3) are displaced in at least one direction in order to accomplish said compensation.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein the relative positions of the binding member (4) and the base material (3) are displaced in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which relative displacement of the binding member and the base material takes place in accordance with said selected motion pattern during said energy transfer to and/or deposition on the base material.

14. Method according to claim 11, wherein one or several additional such displacements including said compensation are performed after an accomplished displacement in accordance with said selected motion pattern, before subsequent layers of base material are applied on the preceding base material layer.

15. Method according to claim 11, wherein one or several additional layers of base material is/are applied on the preceding base material layer after an accomplished displacement in accordance with said selected motion pattern, before another such displacement including said compensation is performed.

16. Method according to claim 11, wherein the base material is bonded together, or prepared in such a way that a binding of the base material in a subsequent treatment is enabled, by means of depositing the medium on the base material within said selected portions by means of a depositing device (10) included in the binding member.

17. Method according to claim 16, wherein a presence or an absence of medium emitted from the depositing device (10) is detected at one or several positions of the depositing device in order to detect said errors in the binding member (4).

18. Method according to claim 17, wherein at least one property of the medium which is related to the function of the depositing device (10) is determined in the presence of emitted medium.

19. Method according to claim 11, wherein a presence or an absence of energy emitted from the binding member is detected at one or several positions of the binding member (4) in order to detect said errors in the binding member.

20. Method according to claim 11, wherein an additional binding member (23), displaceable in relation to said binding member (4), is utilised in order to accomplish said compensation.

21. Method according to claim 20, wherein the relative positions and/or orientations of said additional binding member (23) and said binding member (4) are adjusted on the basis of said detected errors in order to accomplish the compensation.

22. Method according to claim 21, wherein the relative positions of said additional binding member (23) and the binding member (4), along an extension in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which relative displacement of the binding member and the base material takes place during said energy transfer to and/or deposition on the base material, are adjusted on the basis of said detected errors in order to accomplish the compensation.

23. Method according to claim 11, wherein heat is transferred to the base material in order to accomplish the binding.

24. Method according to claim 23, wherein thermal energy is transferred to said selected portions of the base material in order to accomplish the binding.