FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates additive manufacturing, and more particularly to systems and methods for the additive manufacturing of large build items.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Large scale additive manufacturing requires significant capital investment. This investment is frequently idle due to pre- and post-processing operations that must occur in existing printers. Examples of these operations include securing the build sheet to the build plate before printing, or letting deposited material cool and/or cure after a print is complete. Moreover, there are additional non-productive steps associated with producing fully finished additively manufactured parts such as laser alignment of a part for machining, or removal and transport of partially finished components to secondary post-treatment operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An assembly for additive manufacturing can include 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 can be provided for moving the print head and the base relative to one another. A build platform can include a build support and at least one platen. The build support can be detachably engageable to the housing. The build support can include registration structure for registering the position of the build support relative to the build housing. The print head support can be a gantry.

A plurality of platens can be positioned on the build support. The platen can be detachably engageable to the build support. The build housing can further include a plurality of vacuum ports communicating with a vacuum supply conduit. The platens can have vacuum passages. The vacuum passage of a platen can align with one of the vacuum ports to supply vacuum to a build item on the platen. At least one valve can be provided for controlling vacuum to at least one vacuum port.

The build support can include alignment structure for positioning the platens. The alignment structure can include locating pins. The build support can include at least one clamp assembly comprising a movable jaw for engaging the platens.

The build housing can further include a conveyor for moving the build support into and out of the build housing. The conveyor can include rollers. The conveyor can be movable relative to the base.

The driver system can include a lifting member for engaging and lifting the build support, and a motor for moving the lifting member. The lifting member can include lifting frame on opposing sides of the housing. Each lifting frame can include 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. A motor can be provided for lifting and lowering each lifting frame. The operation of each motor can be controlled by a processor. The registration structure can include cooperating registration projections and apertures on the build support and the lifting members.

The build support comprises a transport connector for connecting a transport device to the build support. The transport connector can include structure for engaging the fork of a fork lift, or for engaging a pallet stacker or robot. The structure for engaging the fork of a fork lift can include open-ended elongated parallel enclosures attached to the build support and dimensioned to receive the forks of the forklift.

The additive manufacturing assembly can include at least one processor for controlling the operation of the print head and the driver system, tracking of a build platform, and tracking of a build item. The additive manufacturing assembly can include sensors on at least one selected from the group consisting of the build housing, the build support, and the platens for data acquisition and location tracking.

A method of additive manufacturing can include the step 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. A build platform can include a build support and at least one platen, the build support being detachably engageable to the base of the build housing. The build support and at least one platen are positioned into the build housing. The position of the build support relative to the housing are registered. The print head and the driver system are operated to print a build item. The build support is disengaged and the build support and the build item are removed from the housing. The additive manufacturing can be with a thermoset resin.

The platen can be detachably engageable to the build support, and the method can further include the step of placing and aligning the platen on the build support. The method can further include the step of allowing the build item to cool after removal of the build support and the build item from the build housing. After removing the build support and the build item from the build housing, the build support and the build item can be 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. The CNC can be 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.

The driver system can include a lifting member for engaging and lifting the build support, and a motor for moving the lifting member, and the method can further include the step of operating the driver system to lift and lower the build support relative to the print head. The registration step can include engaging cooperating registration projections and apertures on the build housing and the build support. The method can also include the 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.

