Automated robot-supported methodology for the production and post-processing of workpieces on the basis of generative manufacturing processes

 

In recent years, generative manufacturing has gained importance for the manufacturing industry. The number of industrial systems for additive manufacturing has tripled in Germany between 2010 and 2014. For more than 15 years, additive manufacturing methods of plastic components have been used mainly in the field of rapid prototyping and single-part production. In recent years, the technology has evolved to the extent that it can already be used for small series and series production. What all additive processes have in common is that they make a compromise between component quality and throughput time. The maximum speed of the material application is limited by the performance of the extruder system and the process time is significantly dependent on the selected layer thickness.

A low throughput time can only be achieved by a low layer resolution and is induced by the fact that, as a rule, machining has to be carried out in high tolerance quality areas. If a component also has a high degree of complexity and strong geometric overhangs, a supporting structure is required to maintain component stability during the process. An extension of the machine kinematics used in the process offers the potential to reduce or even completely eliminate the proportion of supporting materials. Additional degrees of freedom allow a reorientation between the component and the extruder already during the process, without having to reclamp the workpiece carrier.

Within the framework of the research project "AuRoNa3D", a hybrid process chain is being developed that contributes to increasing the degree of automation of additive manufacturing processes. For this purpose, conventional 3D printing is extended by additional degrees of freedom and machining is introduced to increase the geometric dimensional accuracy.