Digital method and automated robotic setup for producing variable-density and arbitrary shaped metallic meshes
A mobile manufacturing device and a method for producing three-dimensional lattice or mesh structures, wherein the mobile manufacturing device is a mobile device adapted to move along a three-dimensional structure to be produced, in particular while performing both translation and rotation movements in three-dimensional space, and wherein the mobile manufacturing device includes a means for detection of its position relative to the dimensional structure to be produced, so that the mobile manufacturing device is able to produce the three-dimensional structure as an autonomous robot.
1. A method for producing three-dimensional, highly variable lattice or mesh structures by means of a mobile manufacturing device, wherein the mobile manufacturing device is moved on a two-dimensional plane, and manufactured by means of an end-effector, a three-dimensional lattice or mesh structure by providing wires in horizontal as well as in non-horizontal orientation and at least one of bending and connecting a plurality of these wires, the method comprising:
laying down some wires horizontally at defined vertical distances and in prescribed lengths in three-dimensional space;
bending the laid horizontal wires at prescribed points by prescribed angles;
grasping and feeding other wires vertically in discrete steps of varying lengths;
controlling with the mobile manufacturing device a spatial arrangement of the horizontal wires and the vertical wires using a three-dimensional parametric model;
forming cross-wire connections by bringing the horizontal wires and the vertical wires together;
welding the cross-wire connections together to form cross-wire joints; and
cutting the vertical wires at varying lengths.
2. The method for producing three-dimensional lattice or mesh structures according to claim 1 , wherein at least some of the steps of the production process are digitally controlled.