3 research outputs found
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Fieldable Platform for Large-Scale Deposition of Concrete Structures
Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility is developing
a novel, large-scale additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, system. The Sky Big Area Additive
Manufacturing (SkyBAAM) system will ultimately be a fieldable concrete deposition machine
with pick and place abilities that will allow for full-scale, automated construction of buildings.
The system will be implemented with existing construction equipment meaning conventional
cranes will be used to suspend the print head. SkyBAAM will be cable-driven by four base
stations and suspended from a single crane. The elimination of a gantry system, found
commonly in large-scale additive manufacturing systems, will enable SkyBAAM to be quickly
set up with minimal site preparation. The medium-scale version of SkyBAAM is currently in
development. The system design, cable stiffness analysis, and tactics for freezing rotational
degrees-of-freedom (DOF), detailed in this paper, will provide a basis for the final, large-scale
version of the SkyBAAM system.Mechanical Engineerin
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Exploration of a Cable-Driven 3D Printer for Concrete Tower Structures
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Research Demonstration
Facility (MDF) are currently developing a cable-driven concrete additive manufacturing (AM)
system called SKYBAAM. This system is a novel solution for 3D printing large structures using
concrete. The current research focuses primarily on proof of concepts for the cable driven
system, material selection, material pumping solutions, and the concrete extruder design.
Looking forward from the success of the current research, this paper investigates the feasibility
of using the SKYBAAM on a larger scale, specifically for extremely tall tower structures. The
current system design presents challenges at a larger scale, and so the primary focus of this paper
is to investigate new designs of a platform that would support large-scale SKYBAAM
operations. Additionally, this paper will discuss the resulting deflections that can be expected
due to machine operation and wind-loading. Excessive structural deflections could lead to loss
of printing accuracy, or even a complete failure of the print, so it is important to establish that
acceptable deflections can be reasonably achieved on these large-scale tower structures.Mechanical Engineerin
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Pick and Place Robotic Actuator for Big Area Additive Manufacturing
Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility has created a system that works
in tandem with an existing large-scale additive manufacturing (AM) system to ‘pick and place’ custom
components into a part as it is printed. Large-scale AM leaves a layered surface finish and is typically post-processed through 5-axis CNC machining. Each surface must be accurately recorded into a laser tracking
system. This process can be simplified with the use of fiducials, small location indicators placed on the surface
of a part. Additionally, the ability to monitor an AM tool via wireless sensors is advantageous to gauge part
health as it is fabricated and later used. The ‘pick and place’ system allows thermocouples, fiducials, and other
sensors to be accurately placed throughout the tool as it is fabricated. This solution has the potential to reduce
time, labor, and cost associated with fabricating, post-processing, and using AM parts.Mechanical Engineerin