Even though 3D printers act as if they do all the work, the current methods require lots of human labor, especially after the printer has made the seed part. Milling, trimming excess, drilling holes, and adding wires still must be done by hand. As a result, mass manufacturing or DIY projects can still be very time consuming and laborious, even with a 3D printer.
iRobot Corp. sees this problem impeding the future of 3D printers and automated manufacturing, so it has filed a patent application for a fully automated robotic 3D printer for manufacturing. This type of system could finish printed pieces without human intervention. It could also be equipped to perform quality control, reducing many risks of using printed parts such as fasteners that often cause failures.
This iRobot device patent concept of a 3D printer that finishes parts suggests a truly all-in-one machine devoid of human interaction. (Source: iRobot & USTPO)
The printer would use two robotic arms (a primary one and a secondary one) for certain duties during the manufacturing process. These six-axis manipulators would move parts around extruders or to toolheads hanging from above. These toolheads would handle additive or subtractive manufacturing, milling, drilling, and other processes to produce a final product.
The main purpose of the primary arm is to support the piece being printed under an FDM or a robocasting extruder and then move it under different toolheads. The secondary arm could help pick and place components, stress test hardware, add wiring, and collaborate with the primary arm in orienting parts relative to the toolheads.
According to the patent application, users would be able to make objects from ceramics, ABS, polycarbonate, silicon rubbers, urethane rubbers, plastics, and composites. They could even use conducting metals with low melting temperatures (like gallium) instead of wires.
To improve the quality of printed parts, iRobot proposed equipping the printer with scanners or cameras that could inspect the parts for defects. The two arms would be able to move the finished piece across a laser scanner or camera that could compare object dimensions to those of a CAD drawing, ensuring compliance with specifications. These tools could produce data for documentation and improving the printing steps involved in manufacturing a piece. Sensors could also make sure electrical items are functioning properly and safely.
Since the printer described in the iRobot application would automate the entire printing process, it could make 3D printers more attractive for factories mass-producing parts for sale or for repairing in-house machines. A fully automated process could also be ideal for entrepreneurs trying to print their own finished parts.
Of course, the military loves to get its hands on innovations such as these. In fact, the defense contractor Raytheon worked alongside iRobot on this project.
No official announcement has been made about when we might see this printer being sold commercially. But the patent application suggests prototypes are being built.
I agree that robots will become the worers of the future. No benifits needed, no salary. No question of the improvement in margin for manufacturers who utilize robots.
The issue of what will us poor inefficient humans do? Shorter work weeks then no work at all except for very specialized jobs. If You think outsourcing creates unemployment wait till you see what happens when robots are everywhere. The world will have to change and adapt to support the people who will not be able to find jobs.
Human error is the biggest problem in the engineering and manufacturing world. Take that out, and gobs of money will be saved.
Even the near slave-labor superstar, Foxconn, is planning to replace their workers with robotics. Though, I think in that area it is to combat rising prices. They will most likely see production yields increase due to the bot intervention. They right there may change the world's approach.
I posted before about my Ifactory project with my grandson. It's a manual and CNC 4 axis vertical mill, horizontal mill, horizontal lathe, vertical lathe, Shaper, Cutoff saw, robot, and 3d FDM printer all in one. It is run by a PC and also has a PLC for more I/O and control of air valves for the grippers and such.
Mechanically I have it almost completely assembled. The footprint is 3 feet x 5 feet x 6 feet tall (office desk space) fully enclosed with sliding plexiglas doors. The work space is a 30 inch cube and the machine travels are 18" x 18" x 18".
Electrically I have nearly all the cables routed. Wow there are lot of cables! 5 motion Axis, limit switches, extruder heater and fan, heated printer build table, and two spindles, one DC speed control, the other is motion controlled for 4 axis milling or ridgid tapping. Both spindles have two mounting locations on the moving axis, or on the work table, so extra wiring is need for that. I also have the two control panels, one for AC power wiring, the other for DC motion control assembled and ready to install in the enclosures. Final wiring will take a couple of days labor.
So with the exception of automatic tool changing it is all pretty much there.
RichQ, I agree with your assesment, both on the exciting prospects for 3D manufacturing and on the unliklihood of this patent being granted. Obviousness will prevent a broad patent from issuing, and even a narrow approval of the first claim as listed limits the patent to using two six-axis heads. Any configuration outside this specific configuration wouldn't be covered. Can't blame iRobot for trying, but in a weird way this application becomes prior art to make subsequent frivolous claims by others invalid by equivalence.
The patent issue was my first thought. What, exactly, is it that they are patenting? The idea of a robot that does all these manufacturing steps? How is that something not within the current state of the art? Perhaps the control software would be patentable, but not the idea of the robot itself, I would think.
It is a very exciting idea, and such a device would be a useful tool, but doesn't seem like it should be patentable. (But then, neither do rounded corners.) I'd be concerned that a patent would stiffle the industry, not promote it.
As everybody seems to agree, this is a logical progression of technology, which would imply that perhaps it doesn't deserve a patent, but it's far more deserving than, say, rounded corners on cell phones. I suspect that this system will probably be in the lab for some time to come if it's got multi-degree-of-freedom manipulators in the system. Those components are far more complex that the xyz print mechanisms inherent in typical 3D printers. For example, standard milling machine pricing goes up substatially when you add more than three axes because it becomes geometrically more dificult to maintain tolerances with each added DOF.
As for the model verification aspect of the patent, Stratasys already offers a 3D scanning system for turning real-world objects into 3D models that can be subsequently printed, so I'd expect iRobot's system to use the same tech for inspecting the parts for quality.
Overall, it sounds like the resulting product will be really complex and probably expensive, but I'd still love to work on the design and make it work. Sounds like an engineer's (at least to me) dream project.
Just some thoughts on your question "But what happens to the human workers?".
Without being flippant (I hope, it's not my intent), the answer is "the same thing that happened to candle makers, farriers, blacksmiths..." you get the idea.
All occupations are potentially vulnerable to being replaced by more efficient processes. We are all distressed by the short term (relatively) pain of the situation, but the long term result is that these workers are freed up for other endevours and the better process reduces the cost of the product which results in capital being freed up in another area which will provide new jobs.
The process is counter-intuitive, messy and often painfull. But it works better than any alternative to date. Some of those displaced will never adjust. Others will benefit from the situation that know nothing of what happened. However if we look at the sweep of history industrial/capital age we see overall human kind benefits from the increase in efficiency (compare poverty levels throughout history with the changes in the last few hundred years, capitalism/industrialization has reduced it from the norm in life to an exceptional condition).
Sorry for the lengthy run on this-obviously it is a hobby-horse of mine.
The 3D printing revolution seems to have a knack for quickly moving technology ahead by way of collaborative effort and even a little friendly competition -- all of course in the name of scientific advancement.
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