iRobot, the makers of Roomba, have filed a patent for a 3D
printer that produces completely finished products without the
need for humans to assemble or finish off the object. The
patent, discovered by 3ders, would further remove the need for
labor in 3D printing and allow for more complete objects and be
less prone to human error. Typically, 3D printers can print
pieces of a whole—say, the wheels, body, and axles of a toy
car—which a person then assembles into a finished product.
iRobot’s patent seeks to take the process a step further with a
printer that can handle connectors, seams, and fasteners that
lock parts together, which 3ders notes are “frequently a source
of failure” in manufactured products. The patent, filed in June,
describes a 3D printer that “fuses additive and subtractive
manufacturing with in-situ component placement to provide
completely autonomous all-in-one product manufacturing.” The
printer will include two “manipulators,” one of which has six
axes of movement to hold and manipulate an