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US 12,454,099 B2Granted
Part manipulation using printed manipulation points
AssigneeSeurat Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJames A. DeMuth, Erik Toomre, Francis L. Leard, Kourosh Kamshad, Heiner Fees, Eugene Berdichevsky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A manipulator device such as a robot arm that is capable of increasing manufacturing throughput for additively manufactured parts, and allows for the manipulation of parts that would be difficult or impossible for a human to move is described. The manipulator can grasp various permanent or temporary additively manufactured manipulation points on a part to enable repositioning or maneuvering of the part.
Claims20
A manufacturing method, comprising:
- operating an additive manufacturing system comprising an energy source and a powdered material;
- performing, by the additive manufacturing system during the operating, an additive process to form a structure embedded within an unfused portion of the powdered material, the structure having a manipulation point;
- separating, after the performing, the structure from the unfused portion of the powdered material;
- moving, after the separating, the structure using a manipulator device to engage the manipulation point;
- and
- removing the manipulation point from the structure after the moving,
- wherein the manipulation point comprises a prismatic locking cavity configured to guide the manipulator device in engaging the manipulation point, the prismatic locking cavity comprising a cavity within the structure.
4 more elements
A method of manufacturing parts, comprising:
- obtaining a powder material;
- operating an additive manufacturing system, the operating comprising spreading successive layers of the powdered material and directing an energy beam onto selected portions of the successive layers to form a structure embedded within an unfused portion of the powdered material, the structure comprising a manipulation point and a plurality of additively manufactured parts connected together by one or more additively manufactured connecting links;
- moving the structure from the additive manufacturing system using a manipulator device to engage the manipulation point;
- and
- removing the manipulation point from the structure after the moving,
- wherein the manipulation point comprises a prismatic locking cavity configured to guide the manipulator device in engaging the manipulation point,
- the prismatic locking cavity comprising a cavity within an additively manufactured part.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.