Assembling structures comprising 3D printed components and standardized components utilizing adhesive circuits

#The present disclosure relates generally to apparatus and techniques in manufacturing, and more specifically to adhesives used in conjunction with three-dimensional (3-D) printed components for use in producing vehicles, boats, aircraft and other mechanical structures.

#Three-dimensional (3-D) printing, which may also be referred to as additive manufacturing, is a process used to create 3-D objects. The 3-D objects may be formed using layers of material based on digital model data of the object. A 3-D printer may form the structure defined by the digital model data by printing the structure one layer at a time. 3-D printed objects may be almost any shape or geometry.

#A 3-D printer may disseminate a powder layer (e.g., powdered metal) on an operating surface. The powder layer may be approximately 100 microns thick. The 3-D printer may then bond particular areas of the powder layer into a layer of the object, e.g., by using a laser to bond the powder of the powder layer together. The steps may be repeated to sequentially form each layer. Accordingly, the 3-D printed object may be built layer by layer to form the 3-D object.

#Various aspects of using adhesives with 3-D printed components will now be presented in the detailed description by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

#FIGS. 1A-D illustrate an example 3-D printer system during different stages of operation;

#FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an assembly;

#The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended to provide a description of various exemplary embodiments of using adhesives with 3-D printed components 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 3-D printing and using adhesives for three-dimensional printed components may provide significant flexibility for enabling manufacturers of mechanical structures and mechanized assemblies to manufacture parts with complex geometries. For example, 3-D printing techniques provide manufacturers with the flexibility to design and build parts having intricate internal lattice structures and/or profiles that are not possible to manufacture via traditional manufacturing processes.

#FIGS. 1A-D illustrate respective side views of an exemplary 3-D printer system. In this example, the 3-D printer system is a powder-bed fusion (PBF) system 100. FIGS. 1A-D show PBF system 100 during different stages of operation. The particular embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1A-D is one of many suitable examples of a PBF system employing principles of this disclosure. It should also be noted that elements of FIGS. 1A-D and the other figures in this disclosure are not necessarily drawn to scale, but may be drawn larger or smaller for the purpose of better illustration of concepts described herein. PBF system 100 can include a depositor 101 that can deposit each layer of metal powder, an energy beam source 103 that can generate an energy beam, a deflector 105 that can apply the energy beam to fuse the powder material, and a build plate 107 that can support one or more build pieces, such as a build piece 109. PBF system 100 can also include a build floor 111 positioned within a powder bed receptacle. The walls of the powder bed receptacle 112 generally define the boundaries of the powder bed receptacle, which is sandwiched between the walls 112 from the side and abuts a portion of the build floor 111 below. Build floor 111 can progressively lower build plate 107 so that depositor 101 can deposit a next layer. The entire mechanism may reside in a chamber 113 that can enclose the other components, thereby protecting the equipment, enabling atmospheric and temperature regulation and mitigating contamination risks. Depositor 101 can include a hopper 115 that contains a powder 117, such as a metal powder, and a leveler 119 that can level the top of each layer of deposited powder.