Compliant baseplate design for hybrid AM

Distortion during additive manufacturing, especially in the build plate, significantly affects fixturing, post-processing, and operator safety. This study investigates the effects of monolithic build plates with flexible elements to locally reduce the stiffness and allow for thermal expansion and/or contraction of the plate. Five unique plate designs are studied, with symmetric cylinderical build geometry. 3D scanning results show a maximum plate distortion reduction of 62% in the plate. Furthermore, results reveal that such unconventional designs localize the distortion to the build region, increasing safety and post-processing feasibility.