Patent Application
20180345599
The present disclosure relates generally to techniques for co-printing locating features with a node, and more specifically to additively manufacturing nodes with co-printed locating features to locate an edge of a component accurately within a node socket.
Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes involve the layer-by-layer buildup of one or more materials to make a 3-dimensional object. AM techniques are capable of fabricating complex components from a wide variety of materials. Typically, a freestanding object is fabricated from a computer aided design (CAD) model. Using the CAD model, the AM process can create a solid 3-dimensional object by using a laser beam to sinter or melt a powder material, which then bonds the powder particles together. In the AM process, different materials or combinations of material, such as engineering plastics, thermoplastic elastomers, metals, and ceramics may be used to create a uniquely shaped 3-dimensional object.
Several different printing techniques exist. One such technique is called selective laser melting. Selective laser melting entails fusing (agglomerating) particles of a powder at a temperature below the melting point of the powder material. More specifically, a laser scans a powder bed and melts the powder together where structure is desired, and avoids scanning areas where the sliced data indicates that nothing is to be printed. This process may be repeated thousands of times until the desired structure is formed, after which the printed part is removed from a fabricator.
As AM processes continue to improve, more complex mechanical manufacturers are beginning to investigate the benefits of using additively manufactured parts in their designs. This is because the automotive industry, aircraft manufacturing, and other industries involved in the assembly of transport structures are constantly engaging in cost saving optimizations and looking for opportunities to improve manufacturing processes by reducing the number of parts that are wasted due to variations that may occur in manufacturing. Joining components that may exhibit minor variations in size is one such area that has proven difficult to overcome. For instance, conventional manufacturing processes provide simple internal designs configured to closely fit around and seal a component in place. However, such structures are limiting in that manufactured components that may be slightly thicker, for example, may be too large and consequently wasted. Each wasted part adds to the manufacturing cost of the product and due to the inflexibility of the conventionally manufactured designs, a significant amount of waste can occur. This phenomenon drives up the manufacturing cost, which is often passed onto the consumer. The attendant raising of consumer costs can, in turn, be problematic because the high price tag often associated with complex products alienates a significant number of consumers. Thus, there is a need to reduce the amount of waste associated with joining one or more additively manufactured components.
Fortunately, the recent advances in 3-dimensional printing or AM processes have presented new opportunities to incorporate simple internal features that were not previously available under conventional manufacturing techniques. With AM, components with unique internal structures may be printed which may provide greater flexibility when joining components. However, a new set of challenges emerges with the availability of parts having more flexibility. For instance, a socket designed to fit a larger variety of sizes may make it difficult to correctly position a smaller component in a larger socket because the component may move about a larger space.
Several aspects of techniques for joining an additively manufactured node to a component will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to 3-dimensional printing techniques.
One aspect of an apparatus includes an additively manufactured node having a socket. The apparatus includes one or more locating features co-printed with the node. The one or more locating features are configured to locate an end portion of a component in the socket.
One aspect of a method includes printing, by additive manufacturing, a node having a socket. The method co-prints, with the node, one or more locating features. The one or more locating features are configured to locate an end portion of a component in the socket.
It will be understood that other aspects of co-printing locating features with additively manufactured nodes will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein it is shown and described only several embodiments by way of illustration. As will be realized by those skilled in the art, the co-printing of interconnects with additively manufactured nodes are capable of other and different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
Various aspects of co-printing interconnects with additively manufactured nodes will now be presented in the detailed description by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended to provide a description of various exemplary embodiments of additively manufacturing techniques for co-printing nodes and interconnects and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. The term “exemplary” used throughout this disclosure means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration,” and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments presented in this disclosure. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough and complete disclosure that fully conveys the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. However, the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components may be shown in block diagram form, or omitted entirely, in order to avoid obscuring the various concepts presented throughout this disclosure.
The use of additive manufacturing in the context of co-printing nodes and interconnects provides significant flexibility and cost saving benefits that enable manufacturers of mechanical structures and mechanized assemblies to manufacture parts with complex geometries at a lower cost to the consumer. The joining techniques described in the foregoing relate to a process for joining additively manufactured parts and/or commercial of the shelf (COTS) components such as panels. Additively manufactured parts are 3-dimensionally printed by adding layer upon layer of a material based on a preprogramed design. The parts described in the foregoing may be parts used to assemble a motor vehicle such as an automobile. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the manufactured parts may be used to assemble other complex mechanical products such as vehicles, trucks, trains, motorcycles, boats, aircraft, and the like without departing from the scope of the invention.
One important issue that has been encountered in these industries is how to enable various disparate parts or structures to more effectively interconnect. One such technique as disclosed herein involves the use of additive manufacturing. More specifically, by utilizing additive manufacturing techniques to print locating features, it becomes simpler to join different parts and/or components in the manufacturing process while also providing a flexible design to account for manufacturing variations. Such variations may occur, for example, due to variability in environmental conditions and material during the printing and subsequent manufacturing (e.g., joining). Such techniques can include printing larger sockets with flexible locating features capable of holding, adjusting to the size of, and locating a component in the socket. Additive manufacturing provides the ability to produce nodes with these internal locating features, which was not previously possible using conventional manufacturing techniques. As a result, waste resulting from less effective techniques may be eliminated.
As will be discussed herein, a node is an example of an additively manufactured part. A node may be any 3-D printed part that includes a socket for accepting a component such as a tube and/or a panel. The node may have internal features configured to accept a particular type of component. Alternatively or conjunctively, the node may be shaped to accept a particular type of component. A node, in some embodiments of this disclosure may have internal features for positioning a component in the node's socket. However, as a person having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, a node may utilize any internal design or shape and accept any variety of components without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
When assembled, the end caps 110 fit around the lower protrusions of the node 120 to form a socket. The locating feature 130 of the node 120 locates the lower, end portion of the component 105 around the locating feature 130 and between the end caps 110, such that the component 105 fits within the socket formed by the end caps 110 and the node 120. Once the component is placed in the socket, adhesive may be injected through the adhesive port 115 to fix the component 105 to the node 120. The adhesive may then be cured by applying heat to the apparatus 100.
As shown, the locating feature 215, in combination with the node 210, allows the component 205 to have vertical and some lateral movement. By providing two degrees of movement, greater flexibility is achieved when joining the node with the component. For instance, temperature differences between the time the node and locating feature are printed and the time they are joined with the component 205 may cause the component 205 to expand or contract in size. The design illustrated in
Once the component is positioned appropriately, the adhesive 225 may be applied between the locating feature 215 and the component 205 as well as between the locating feature 215 and the node 210. Alternatively or conjunctively, screws 220 may also be applied to the locating feature 215 to hold the component 205 and the node 210 in place.
While the above description relates primarily to using locating features to join a tube and a node, the techniques described in this disclosure are not only applicable to tubes. In fact, any suitable component that may be bonded to a node may be joined to a node without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For instance, as will be discussed in the foregoing sections, locating features may be appropriate to accurately join a panel and a node.
As shown, the panel 310 may slide through the deformable barbs 315. The deformable barbs 315 guide the component 310 by locating the end portion of the component 310 in the socket 320. As the component 310 slides along the barbs 315, each barb 315 may bend to accommodate the panel 310, while also providing enough force to hold the component 310 in place. Once the component 310 is placed correctly, an adhesive may be injected into the socket 320 to fix the component 310 into place within the socket 320.
Such designs accommodate manufacturing variabilities that may occur due to environmental variables. The barbs 315 are able to both mechanically lock the component 310 and to control the gap size of the 320. As a result, in some instances the node 305 and component 310 may be adequately joined without the use of any adhesive. In such instances, the barbs 315 may not be removed.
The tapered shims 515 may be co-printed with the node 505 and used to locate the component 510 in the socket. In some aspects such a design allows for the generation of sockets of a variety of shapes and sizes. For instance,
This design also accounts for variabilities in manufacturing because the shims may be co-printed in numerous different shapes and conform to the shape of an inserted panel or other suitable component that may be bonded to a node.
As shown, the socket 625 may be substantially larger than a width of a panel 610. The large size of the socket 625 creates greater flexibility in the component size that may be joined with the node 605. Once the component 610 is appropriately situated in the socket 625, an adhesive may be injected through the nozzle 615 and travel through the injection paths 615, which may guide the adhesive to surround the component 610 and hold it in place. Once the adhesive has been successfully injected, the co-printed nozzle 620 may be detached or broken off of the node 605.
As shown, the struts 715 may be co-printed with the node 705 and may act to position a free-floating component, such as the component 710 in the socket 725. The struts 715 may work cooperatively with the plate 730 to engage the component 710. The plate 730 may be coupled to the upper and/or lower surfaces of the socket 725 and adjusted in size to accommodate manufacturing variations between the node 705 and component 710.
Once the component 710 is properly positioned, adhesive material may be injected through the injection port 720. In some aspects of the apparatus, the adhesive material is pulled through the socket 725 by a vacuum port and/or forced through the socket by the adhesive port.
In this exemplary drawing, the standoffs 920 may assist with guiding the component 910 into the node 905 until the component 910 reaches the locating features 925. The component 910 may be a panel with opposing surface layers. A pair of standoffs may be positioned on each of the opposing sides of the panel. The panel may have a friction or slip fit with the socket at each of the pair of standoffs.
The locating features 925 may be projections suitable for locating the end portion of the component 910 and guiding the component 910 into place within the node 905. In some aspects of the apparatus, the locating features 925 may be configured to provide a friction or slip fit with an edge of the end portion of the component 910. Once in place, one of the adhesives 915 may be positioned between one of the locators 925 and one of the standoffs 920. The opposing adhesive 915 may be positioned between the opposing standoff 920 and the opposing locating feature 925. Heat may then be applied to the apparatus 900 to cause the adhesive to foam and subsequently cure.
As shown, the adhesive 1015 is applied internally to the node 1005 after the component 1010 is inserted and located by the locators 1025. In this example, the adhesive 1015 may be an adhesive tape or film foam adhesive. In some aspects of the apparatus, the component 1010 may begin to sag before the adhesive 1015 has finished curing. In such aspects it may be beneficial to use the secondary shim 1030 to prevent sagging in the component during the curing process. Once the node and component are joined, or the adhesive is cured, the secondary shim may be removed. In some aspects of the apparatus, the shim may seal the interface between the node 1005 and the component 1010. In other aspects of the apparatus, a sealant may be applied to the interface between the node 1005 and the component 1010 to intermediately seal the node 1005 to the component 1010 prior to applying and/or curing the adhesive 1015. In such aspects, the adhesive may be a liquid adhesive rather than a film foam or adhesive tape. In some aspects of the apparatus, the liquid adhesive may be injected through the interface between the node 1005 and the component 1010 by elevated injection force or a vacuum force that may pull the adhesive across the interface.
In this example, the edges of the component 1110 locate the node 1105. The tapered end 1135 of the node can grab the end of the component 1110 and the adhesive 1115 can fill the outer region of the node/component connection. Such a connection may be a friction or slip fit. In some aspects of the apparatus, the locating features described above may include a first portion of the node socket having a first gap 1150 and a second portion of the socket having a second gap 1160 wider than the first gap 1150. In such aspects, the second gap 1160 may be closer to the socket opening than the first gap 1150 and the first gap 1150 is configured to provide a friction or slip fit with an edge of the end portion of the component 1110.
The co-printed locating features account for manufacturing variations that may occur during additive manufacturing and joining the nodes and components. With the co-printed locating features, nodes may be printed with extra “give” or space that enables the component to move laterally within the node socket while still aligning the component to the proper position within the node.
The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these exemplary embodiments presented throughout this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the concepts disclosed herein may be applied to other techniques for printing nodes and interconnects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the exemplary embodiments presented throughout the disclosure, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the exemplary embodiments described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f), or analogous law in applicable jurisdictions, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.”
