Active thermal gradient control module for industrial 3D
This technology adds real-time thermal management to 3D printing systems by continuously monitoring the temperature of both the part being built and the material about to be deposited, then actively adjusting heating or cooling elements inside the build chamber to keep the temperature difference within a target range. The core insight is that uncontrolled thermal gradients during additive manufacturing cause warping, cracking, residual stress, and poor layer bonding — problems that plague industrial 3D printing today. The system uses sensors and a controller to dynamically modulate thermal conditions throughout the entire print job, not just at the start. This approach applies broadly to polymer, composite, and potentially metal deposition processes.
What you could build
A smart build-chamber module or retrofit kit for industrial FDM or large-format additive manufacturing systems that actively manages thermal gradients in real time; primary buyers would be aerospace and industrial OEMs producing structural or high-tolerance printed parts at scale.
Who in Virginia should care
Defense primes and aerospace manufacturers in Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads corridor that use additive manufacturing for structural components would be natural evaluators.
Readiness: Concept
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Robert J. GRIFFITHS, David GARCIA, Hang YU
- Filed
- Patent pending — filed November 21, 2023
- Status
- Application
- Publication number
- US20240217182A1
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.