METHOD FOR PRODUCING A COMPOSITE BODY AND COMPOSITE BODY

Abstract

A method for producing a composite body from at least two partial bodies, at least one of the partial bodies being produced in an additive manufacturing process, includes exposing the at least two partial bodies to a solvent atmosphere, so that one surface of the partial body is smoothed. The at least two partial bodies are placed in the chamber in such a way that they touch at least one joining surface and that the solvent atmosphere creates a material connection between the at least two partial bodies on the at least one joining surface.

Claims

1. Method for producing a composite body from at least two partial bodies, wherein at least one of the partial bodies is produced in an additive manufacturing process, the method comprising: placing the at least two partial bodies in a chamber in such a way that they touch at least one joining surface, and exposing the at least two partial bodies to a solvent atmosphere such that one surface of the partial bodies is smoothed, wherein the solvent atmosphere leads to the creation of a cohesive connection between the at least two partial bodies on the at least one joining surface.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the at least two partial bodies are joined together in a positive-fitting manner on the at least one joining surface.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the partial bodies is produced in a powder-based 3D printing process.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the partial bodies is produced with a lattice structure.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the at least two partial bodies are placed in the solvent atmosphere in such a way that they touch at a plurality of joining surfaces, the plurality of joining surfaces corresponding to a plurality of boundary surfaces of the unit cells of the structure of the partial bodies.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the partial bodies are joined in such a way that a uniform lattice structure of the assembled body is formed.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the at least two partial bodies are produced with at least one connecting element, in particular a connecting joint, and/or are folded together via the connecting element, so that the two partial bodies rest against one another with their corresponding joining surfaces.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein the at least two partial bodies are produced from a thermoplastic, in particular polyamide 12 and/or an elastomer, in particular TPU.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein the solvent atmosphere contains chloroform, tetrahydrofuran, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, N-methylpyrrolidone, dimethyl sulphoxide, hexafluoroisopropanol, pyridine and/or benzyl alcohol.

10. Composite body composed of at least two partial bodies, with at least one of the partial bodies being produced in an additive manufacturing process, wherein the body is produced according to a method of claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

[0030] Further advantages of the invention are described in the following embodiments. In the drawings:

[0031] FIG. 1 is a two-dimensional diagram of the partial bodies before they are joined,

[0032] FIG. 2 is a two-dimensional diagram of the production of the body according to the method according to the invention,

[0033] FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional diagram of the partial bodies before they are put together, and

[0034] FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional diagram of the composite body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In the following description of the figures, the same reference signs are used for features that are identical and/or at least comparable in the various figures. The individual features, their design and/or mode of action are generally explained in detail when they are mentioned the first time. If individual features are not explained in detail again, their design and/or mode of action corresponds to the design or mode of action of the features already described that have the same effect or the same name.

[0036] In a two-dimensional diagram, FIG. 1 shows two partial bodies 1 which are joined together to form a body 2 according to the invention (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 4) in the method according to the invention. The two-dimensional representation serves to illustrate the principle. As a rule, the body 2 will have a three-dimensional shape. As shown in FIG. 1, the two partial bodies 1 have a matching lattice structure. In this example, the lattice structures have hexagonal unit cells 3 from which the lattice structure is built. Less symmetrical unit cells can be used as well. A combination of different lattice motifs as the smallest unit of the lattice is conceivable as well.

[0037] The partial bodies 1 are delimited in such a way that only complete unit cells 3 are present in the lattice structure. In other words, the partial bodies 1 are delimited by the boundary surfaces 4 of the unit cells 3. Likewise, a joining surface 5 or a plurality of joining surfaces 5, on which the partial bodies 1 touch during the method (see also FIG. 2), is formed by a plurality of the boundary surfaces 4 of the unit cells 3.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows the method according to the invention for producing the composite body 2 in a two-dimensional diagram. The at least two partial bodies 1 produced in an additive manufacturing process are placed in a chamber 6 in such a way that they touch at least one joining surface 5. A solvent atmosphere 7 is present in the chamber 6. On the one hand, the solvent atmosphere 7 smooths one surface of the partial bodies 1. On the other hand, a cohesive connection is formed on the at least one joining surface 5 between the partial bodies 1, as a result of which the composite body 2 is produced. Due to the shape of the partial bodies 1 aligned by the boundary surfaces 4 of the unit cells 3, the partial bodies 1 can be joined in a positive-fitting manner.

[0039] In particular, the composite body 2 has a continuous and homogeneous lattice structure. Ideally, the at least one joining surface 5 is no longer recognizable after the end of the method. The solvent atmosphere 7 can be produced in the manners already described. For safety purposes, the chamber 6 is hermetically sealed, for example, during the presence of the solvent atmosphere 7. The partial bodies 1 can, for example, be placed in the chamber 6 on supports (not shown) or hung up on hooks (not shown).

[0040] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show a three-dimensional model of the partial body 1 and the composite body 2. The body 2 has a cuboid shape with a lengthwise extent of the body 2 exceeding, for example, the width of a corresponding 3D printing device. For this reason, the body 2 is divided into two partial bodies 1 prior to the production which are each produced in a corresponding 3D printing device.

[0041] When the body 2 is separated into the partial bodies 1, care is taken to ensure that the unit cells 3 are retained during the separation. This ensures that the partial bodies 1 can later be assembled in a positive-fitting manner. The partial bodies 1 and the body 2 have a three-dimensional lattice structure. The elasticity of the body 2 can be specifically influenced by these lattice structures. A material-saving production is possible. The composite body 2 can be used as padding, for example. As shown in FIG. 4, the partial bodies 1 of the composite body 2 can no longer be seen individually.

[0042] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments that are illustrated and described. Modifications within the scope of the claims are just as possible as a combination of features even if they are shown and described in different embodiments.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0043] 1 Partial body [0044] 2 Body [0045] 3 Unit cell [0046] 4 Boundary surface [0047] 5 Joining surface [0048] 6 Chamber [0049] 7 Solvent atmosphere