Increased material flow throughput in large scale additive manufacturing through movable segmented build platform
An assembly for additive manufacturing includes a build housing including a base, a print head, and a print head support connected to the base for supporting the print head above the base. A driver system is provided for moving the print head and the base relative to one another. A build platform comprising a build support and at least one platen. The build support can be detachably engageable to the housing. The platens can be detachably engageable to the build support. The build support can include registration structure for registering the position of the build support relative to the build housing. A method of additive manufacturing is also disclosed.
1. An assembly for additive manufacturing, comprising:
a build housing comprising a base, a print head, and a print head support connected to the base for supporting the print head above the base;
a driver system for moving the print head and the base relative to one another;
a build platform comprising a build support and at least one platen, the build support being detachably engageable to the housing, the build support comprising registration structure for registering the position of the build support relative to the build housing.
2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the platen is detachably engageable to the build support.
3. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the build housing further comprises a plurality of vacuum ports communicating with a vacuum supply conduit.
4. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 3 , wherein the at least one platen comprise vacuum passages, the vacuum passage of the at least one platen aligning with one of the vacuum ports to supply vacuum to a build item on the at least one platen.
5. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 4 , further comprising at least one valve for controlling vacuum to at least one vacuum port.
6. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the build support comprises alignment structure for positioning the at least one platen.
7. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 6 , wherein the alignment structure comprises locating pins.
8. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the build support comprises at least one clamp assembly comprising a movable jaw for engaging the platens.
9. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the build housing further comprises a conveyor for moving the build support into and out of the build housing.
10. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 9 , wherein the conveyor comprises rollers.
11. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 9 , wherein the conveyor is movable relative to the base.
12. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the driver system comprises a lifting member for engaging and lifting the build support, and a motor for moving the lifting member.
13. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 12 , wherein the lifting member comprises a lifting frame on opposing sides of the housing, each lifting frame comprising a lifting surface for engaging a cooperating surface on the build support such that lifting or lowering of the lifting frame will respectively lift and lower the build support, and a motor for lifting and lowering each lifting frame, the operation of each motor being controlled by a processor.
14. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 13 , wherein the registration structure comprises cooperating registration projections and apertures on the build support and the lifting frame.
15. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the build support comprises a transport connector for connecting a transport device to the build support.
16. The additive manufacturing device of claim 15 , wherein the transport connector comprises structure for engaging the fork of a fork lift.
17. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 16 , wherein the structure for engaging the fork of a fork lift comprises open-ended elongated parallel enclosures attached to the build support and dimensioned to receive the forks of the forklift.
18. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one platen includes having a plurality of platens, and the plurality of platens are positioned on the build support.
19. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one processor for controlling at least one selected from the group consisting of the operation of the print head and the driver system, tracking of a build platform, and tracking of a build item.
20. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the print head support assembly is a gantry.
21. The additive manufacturing assembly of claim 1 , further comprising sensors on at least one selected from the group consisting of the build housing, the build support, and the at least one platen for data acquisition and location tracking.
22. A method of additive manufacturing, comprising the steps of:
providing a build housing comprising a base, a print head, and a print head support connected to the base for supporting the print head above the base, and a driver system for moving the print head and the base relative to one another;
providing a build platform comprising a build support and at least one platen, the build support being detachably engageable to the base of the build housing;
positioning the build support and at least one platen into the build housing;
registering the position of the build support relative to the housing;
operating the print head and the driver system to print a build item disposed on at least one platen;
disengaging the build support and removing the build support and the printed build item from the housing.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the platen is detachably engageable to the build support, and further comprising the step of placing and aligning the at least one platen on the build support.
24. The method of claim 22 , further comprising the step of allowing the build item to cool after removal of the build support and the build item from the build housing.
25. The method of claim 22 , wherein after removing the build support and the build item from the build housing, the build support and the build item are placed in a computer numerical control (CNC) machine, and the position of the build support and the build item is registered in the CNC machine.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the CNC machine comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a milling machine, a lathe, a router, a grinder, a laser cutter, a water jet cutter, a stamping machine, or a robotic machine.
27. The method of claim 22 , wherein the additive manufacturing is with a thermoset resin.
28. The method of claim 22 , wherein the driver system comprises a lifting member for engaging and lifting the build support, and a motor for moving the lifting member, the method further comprising the step of operating the driver system to lift and lower the build support relative to the print head.
29. The method of claim 22 , wherein the registration step comprises engaging cooperating registration projections and apertures on the build housing and the build support.
30. The method of claim 22 , further comprising a step of providing sensors on at least one selected from the group consisting of the build housing, the build support, and the platens and using the sensors for data acquisition and location tracking.