METHOD TO CONSTRUCT AND PHYSICALLY JOIN BUILDING BLOCKS INTO A NEAR-NET SHAPED PART USING AN INTERFACIAL REACTION-ACTIVATION MECHANISM

• US 20090276070A1
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Inventors: Evans, Paul T., Burkes, James M., Scribner, Cliff J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/98
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/00 Making specific metal objects by operations not covered by a single other subclass or a group in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35219 From cad data derive cutting, stacking, sorting program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/20 Configuration CAD, e.g. designing by assembling or positioning modules selected from libraries of predesigned modules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

The disclosure provides a method to construct and physically join near-net shaped structural building blocks into a composite part using an interfacial reaction-activation mechanism.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a near-net physical structure, comprising:

modeling the part as data capable of being manipulated by a computer;

using the computer to transform the data into a format wherein the structure is represented by flat-sided building blocks;

delivering the data to an automated stacking system;

using the stacking system to assemble the blocks to form the structure; and

joining the building blocks with a reaction-activation process, such that flat sides of the blocks are fused together.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the building blocks have an open channel shape.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the channel shape has a three-sided “

u”

profile.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the channel shape has a two-sided “

v”

profile.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the building blocks have a closed tube shape.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the tube shape has a rectangular profile.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the tube shape has a triangular profile.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each side of each building block has an inner face and an outer face, and wherein the joining step is performed such an inner face of at least one building block is fused to an outer face of another at least one building block.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation phase of the reaction-activation process of is one of the following:

chemical, electrical, thermal, mechanical, or optical.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction phase of the reaction-activation process is a heat reaction.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the building blocks have a surface precursor, and the step of joining the building blocks is performed by activating the precursor coating such that reacts and becomes adhesive.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing temporary support for the structure prior to the joining step.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the support is by means of an adhesive property of the building blocks.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the support is by means of a scaffold comprised of material to be removed after the joining step.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the building blocks is an active element, which can be stimulated to allow expansion or contraction of its shape.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the active element is made from a shape memory alloy.