Large Shells Manufacturing Apparatus

• US 20150314534A1
• Filed: 03/05/2015
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massivit 3D Printing Technologies Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Massivit 3D Printing Technologies Ltd.
• Inventors: Yakubov, Igor, Uzan, Moshe, Miller, Yoav, Taff, Itzhak
• Granted Patent: US 9,527,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/135 the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2022/00 Hollow articles tubular articles B29L2023/00; pneumatic tyres B29L2030/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2022/007 integrally moulded or formed
• 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

Abstract

The current document discloses an apparatus and method that support manufacture of large 3D hollow objects or shells with thin walls including curved surfaces with high and low curvature change ratio and alleviate or significantly reduce the need for support structures. Further to this, introduction of support structures becomes a function of the curved surface curvature change ratio.

Claims

1. An apparatus for additive manufacturing of large 3D hollow objects with thin walls, said apparatus comprising:

a 3D hollow object material deposition module configured to deposit a portion of material forming at least a layer of a 3D hollow object wall;

a 3D hollow object material solidifying module configured to solidify at least the portion of material forming at least a layer of the 3D hollow object wall; and

a support material dispensing module configured to dispense a support material across a cross section of the 3D hollow object; and

wherein the support material is dispensed separately prior to or concurrently with the deposition of the portion of material forming at least a layer of a 3D hollow object wall.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support material is also dispensed at a location other than that at which the 3D hollow object is being dispensed.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, also comprising a computer configured to generated a model and mark a planned contour outline of a planned wall of the 3D object to be manufactured at a cross-section level at which the support material is to be positioned to provide optimal structural strength and stability.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the support material dispensing module dispenses the support material across a cross section contour of the 3D object including across a hollow or empty space inside the contour so that to fit exactly the planned contour outline in accordance with a generated model of the 3D object.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the support material dispensing module dispenses the support material across a cross section contour of the 3D object including across a hollow or empty space inside the contour so that to fit precisely the planned contour outline in accordance with the generated model of the 3D object and leave no appendages or excessive support material that later require trimming or removal at least at external surface of the object.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the support material dispensing module dispenses support material along the contour outline or border in at least one of a semi-continuous fashion and in a form of deposited thickened drops so that to form edge anchor bonding points to be integrated into a later dispensed wall of the 3-D object.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the support material is made of a single layer thickness.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the support material has a thickness exceeding single layer thickness.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support material is dispensed in a form of a grid.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support material is dispensed in a form of a grid also including ribs so that to provide additional strength as required.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the 3D hollow object material deposition module is at least one of a group consisting of an inkjet module, extrusion module, and sintering module.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the 3D hollow object material solidifying module solidifies the material by one of a group of radiations consisting of ultraviolet radiation, infrared radiation, microwave radiation, and heat.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the support material dispensing module dispenses support material, which is at least one of a group of materials consisting of a metal grid, a plastic grid, a fabric grid, a grid made of material dissolvable in the 3D hollow object material, a grid made of the same material (resin) of which the 3D object is made and a combination of all of the above.

14. An apparatus manufacturing of large shells, said apparatus comprising:

a material deposition module configured to deposit a portion of material forming at least a segment of a shell to be manufactured;

a material solidifying module configured to solidify at least the portion of material deposited and forming at least a segment of the shell to be manufactured; and

a support material dispensing module configured to dispense the support material across a cross section of the shell; and

wherein the support material module dispenses the support material separately prior to or concurrently with the deposition of the portion of material forming at least a layer of a 3D hollow object wall and at a location other than that at which the 3D hollow object is being dispensed.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the support material dispensing module dispenses the support material across a cross section contour of the 3D object including across a hollow or empty space inside the contour so that to fit precisely the planned contour outline in accordance with a generated model of the 3D object.

16. An apparatus manufacturing of large shells, said apparatus comprising:

a material deposition module configured to deposit a portion of material forming at least a segment of a shell to be manufactured;

a material solidifying module configured to solidify at least the portion of material deposited and forming at least a segment of the shell to be manufactured; and

a support material dispensing module configured to dispense the support material across a cross section of the shell; and

wherein the support material dispensing module dispenses the support material across a cross section contour of the 3D object including across a hollow or empty space inside the contour so that to fit exactly the planned contour outline in accordance with a generated model of the 3D object.

17. An apparatus for manufacturing of large shells having appendages, said apparatus comprising:

a material deposition module configured to deposit a portion of material forming at least a segment of a shell to be manufactured;

a material solidifying module configured to solidify at least the portion of material deposited and forming at least a segment of the shell to be manufactured; and

a support material dispensing module configured to dispense the support material across a cross section of the shell; and

wherein the support material is in a form of a grid having a first surface and at least one second surface; and

wherein the material deposition module is configured to deposit material on the first surface forming at least a first portion of a shell to be manufactured and deposit material on the at least one second surface forming at least a second portion of a large shell to be manufactured.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the support material dispensing module dispenses the support material across a cross section contour of the large shell including across a hollow or empty space inside the contour so that to fit exactly the planned contour outline in accordance with a generated model of the large shell.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the grid is flat and the first surface and second surface are on opposite sides of the grid.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the support material or grid have more than two surfaces laying in multiple planes in 3D space as required to provide optimal structural strength and stability to the large shells having appendages being manufactured.

21. A method for additive manufacturing of large 3D hollow objects with thin walls, said method comprising:

operating a 3D hollow object material deposition module to deposit a portion of material forming at least a layer of a 3D hollow object wall;

operating a 3D hollow object material solidifying module to solidify at least the portion of material deposited by the material deposition module and forming at least a layer of the 3D hollow object wall;

operating a support material dispensing module configured to dispense a support material across a cross section of the 3D hollow object; and

wherein dispensing the support material separately prior to or concurrently with the deposition of the portion of material forming at least a layer of a 3D hollow object wall.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein also dispensing the support material at a location other than that at which the 3D hollow object is being dispensed.

23. The method according to claim 21 wherein the 3D hollow object material deposition module is at least one of a group consisting of an inkjet module, extrusion module, and sintering module.

24. The method according to claim 21 wherein the 3D hollow object material solidifying module solidifies the material by one of a group of radiations consisting of ultraviolet radiation, infrared radiation, microwave radiation, and heat.

25. The method according to claim 21 wherein the support material dispensing module dispenses support material, which is at least one of a group of materials consisting of a metal grid, a plastic grid, a fabric grid, a grid made of material dissolvable in the 3D hollow object material, a grid made of material the 3D object is made and a combination of all of the above.

26. A method for additive manufacturing of large 3D hollow objects with thin walls, said method comprising:

dispensing a portion of material forming at least a layer of a 3D hollow object wall;

solidifying at least the portion of material forming at least a layer of the 3D hollow object wall; and

dispensing a support material across a cross section of the 3D hollow object; and

wherein dispensing the support material separately prior to or concurrently with the deposition of the portion of material forming at least a layer of a 3D hollow object wall.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein also dispensing the support material at a location other than that at which the 3D hollow object is being dispensed.

28. A method for additive manufacturing of large 3D hollow objects with thin walls, said method comprising:

generating a model of a 3D object to be manufactured and calculating at least one level at which support material is to be positioned;

dispensing a portion of material forming layers of a 3D hollow object wall up to the at least one calculated level;

solidifying at least the portion of material forming at least a layer of the 3D hollow object wall; and

separately and at a different location dispensing a support material across a cross section of the 3D hollow object following a contour outline at at least one calculated levels and

positioning the support material at the at least one calculated level so that to provide optimal structural strength and stability to the 3D object; and

dispensing remaining portion of material forming remaining layers to complete the 3D hollow object.

29. A method for additive manufacturing of large 3D hollow objects with thin walls and having appendages, said method comprising:

generating a model of a 3D object to be manufactured and calculating at least one level at which support material is to be positioned;

dispensing a support material across a cross section of the 3D hollow object following a contour outline at the at least one calculated level and wherein the support material having a first surface and a second surface each on opposite sides of the support material;

dispensing a portion of material forming layers of a first portion of a 3D hollow object wall on the first surface of the support material;

solidifying the first portion of material forming at least the first portion of the 3D hollow object wall;

inverting the first portion of the 3D hollow object;

dispensing on the second surface of the support material the remaining portion of material forming the remaining layers to complete the 3D hollow object; and

solidifying the second portion of material forming at least the second portion of the 3D hollow object wall.