Method for customized production of roofing detail parts

Abstract

A method for producing a roofing detail part for sealing a roof element, the method including the steps of: (a) providing and/or obtaining a digital model of a roof element to be sealed; and (b) based on the digital model, producing a roofing detail part fitting on the outer shape of the roof element by additive manufacturing.

Claims

1. A method for producing a roofing detail part for sealing a roof element, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing and obtaining a digital model of a roof element to be sealed, the digital model being obtained by 3D scanning of the roof element and having an outer shape defined by an outer surface; (b) based on the digital model, producing a roofing detail part fitting on the outer shape of the roof element by additive manufacturing, the roofing detail part having inner shape defined by an inner surface, wherein the roofing detail part is produced such that the inner shape corresponds to the outer shape of the digital model, the roof element is selected from the group consisting of a roof curb, a roof drain, a roof edge, a roof expansion joint, a roof parapet wall, a roof penetration, a roof sleeper, a roof transition, a roof corner, a roof tie-in, and a roof wall, and the roofing detail part is a cover, a hood, a cap, or a revetment for the roof element.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the scanning of the roof element is performed with at least one of a handheld 3D scanner and a portable 3D scanner.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additive manufacturing includes 3D printing.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the roofing detail part is produced from a plastic material.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the plastic material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, fillers, pigments, reinforcing materials, and thermoplastic polymers.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the roofing detail part is produced with a single ply structure.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a wall thickness of the roofing detail part produced is from 0.1-10 mm.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the production of the roofing detail part is effected such that an outer surface of the roofing detail part is similar to the outer surface of the roof element.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein step b) includes, based on the digital model of the roof element, generating a further digital model of the roofing detail part to be produced.

10. The method for sealing a roof element comprising the following steps: (i) performing the method according to claim 1 in order to obtain a roofing detail part fitting on the roof element; and (ii) installing the roofing detail part on the roof element.

11. The method according to claim 3, wherein the 3D printing includes fused deposition modeling or fused particle fabrication.

12. The method according to claim 4, wherein the plastics material is a thermoplastic material.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the thermoplastic material is selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polyolefins, polyvinylchloride, and ketone ethylene ester.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising connecting the installed roofing detail part with a further sealing element on the roof by heat welding.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

(1) The drawings used to explain the embodiments show:

(2) FIG. 1 A schematic representation of a section of a flat roof with a duct extending through a membrane whereby the duct is scanned with a 3D scanner for obtaining a digital model of the duct;

(3) FIG. 2 A schematic representation of a 3D printing process of a roofing detail part, which is based on the digital model of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 A schematic representation of the flat roof section of FIG. 1 after the roofing detail part of FIG. 2 has been installed on the duct and the roofing detail part has been heat welded with the membrane in order to produce a watertight connection;

(5) FIG. 4 A prior art approach for sealing a model of a complex shaped corner of a flat roof with many small pieces of roofing membrane;

(6) FIG. 5 A 3D scan of the model corner of FIG. 4.

(7) In the figures, the same components are given the same reference symbols.

Exemplary Embodiments

(8) On the left side of FIG. 1, a section of a flat roof is shown. Specifically, a thermoplastic membrane 2 is arranged on the top of the flat roof with a roof element in the form of a cylindrical duct 1 extending in vertical direction. In the situation of FIG. 1, the duct 1 extends through a circular opening 2.1 in the membrane 2.

(9) With the help of a portable 3D scanner 3, the duct 1 is scanned with laser light 4 in order to collect data on the shape of the duct 1. The data collected is processed within the control unit of the scanner 3 and stored in a data file 5 as a digital model 6 of the duct 1. For example, the file format of the data file 5 is a CAD file format.

(10) As shown in FIG. 2 the data file 5 comprising the digital model 6 of the duct 1 is transmitted to a 3D printer 7. Within the control unit 8 of the 3D printer 7, a further digital model 10 of a roofing detail part fitting on duct 1 is generated based on the digital model 6 of the duct 1 and stored in a further data file 9. Thereby, the negative shape of the outer surface of the digital model 6 of the duct 1 corresponds to the inner surface of the further digital model 10 of the roofing detail part.

(11) Based on the further digital model 10, the control unit 8 of the 3D printer 7 produces control data for the print head 11 producing the roofing detail part 12 fitting on duct 1. The material used for printing is a thermoplastic polymer with a melting point of for example 160°. As seen on the right side of FIG. 2, the roofing detail part 12 is a monolithic hollow cylindrical body which is closed on the upper end and open in the lower end.

(12) Once the roofing detail part 12 is ready, it can be installed on the duct 1 as shown in FIG. 3. Thereby, the roofing detail part 12 is connected to the membrane 2 in the region of the opening 2.1 by heat welding all around in order to provide a watertight connection between roofing detail part 12 and membrane 2.

(13) FIG. 4 shows a prior art approach for sealing a model of a complex shaped corner of a flat roof. Thereby, the corner is covered with several small pieces of roofing membrane, which are to be connected by heat welding. Thus this approach results in a “patchy” cover with several weak spots (welding lines) regarding water tightness.

(14) FIG. 5 shows a 3D scan of the model corner of FIG. 4. Similar to the procedure shown in FIG. 1-3, the data collected is used to put together a digital model of the corner, which is then fed into a 3D printing system, which utilizes a suitable thermoplastic compound to produce a monolithic detailing part.

(15) Thus, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restricted.