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Automated ConstructionAutomated Construction byby Contour CraftingContour Crafting

Behrokh KhoshnevisUniversity of Southern California

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Fabrication Processes

Formative (pressing, forging, bending,..)

Subtractive (milling, turning, chiseling, sawing, stamping..)

Additive

Casting (requiring mold)

Traditional Layered Fabrication (only in manual construction)

Modern Layered Fabrication (SFF or RP) Technologies

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Commercialized RP Technologies

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SIS – Selective Inhibition Sintering

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MPM – Moldless Powder Metallurgy

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Limitations of current SFF methods

• Slow speed• Not scalable• Limited choice of materials• Impossible to embed other objects

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What is Contour Crafting?

Material feed barrel

Nozzle

Side trowel

Side trowel control mechanism

Top trowel

CC is a layered fabrication method which combines ancient surface forming concepts with modern robotics technology

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A CC machine for thermoplastics

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Nozzle Assemblies

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Plastic Parts

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CC Machine for Ceramics

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Process & Machine Design Research

Comparison of the flow pattern with the simulation result and the actual process on the near optimal conditions: side views with a square orifice (top pictures), and side views with an elliptical orifice (bottom pictures)

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Movable Side Trowel

Cylinder

Connector

Bevel gear

Nozzle

Side trowel

mechanism of movable side trowel

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Building Various Surface Slopes

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2.5D and 3D Objects