Apparatuses, systems and methods for three-dimensional printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10195693-B2
Application number	US-201715399186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2017
Priority date	Jun 20, 2014
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) objects, 3D printing processes, as well as methods, apparatuses and systems for the production of a 3D object. Methods, apparatuses and systems of the present disclosure may reduce or eliminate the need for auxiliary supports. The present disclosure provides three dimensional (3D) objects printed utilizing the printing processes, methods, apparatuses and systems described herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for printing a three-dimensional object, comprising:
a powder dispenser configured to dispense a powder material to form a powder bed comprising an exposed surface;
a powder remover configured to remove the powder material from the powder bed;
an energy source that is configured to provide an energy beam directed to the powder bed, which energy beam transforms at least a portion of the powder material to form a hardened material; and
at least one controller that is operatively coupled to the powder dispenser, powder remover, and the energy beam, wherein the at least one controller is configured to facilitate printing of the three-dimensional object at least in part by:
(i) individually directing (1) the powder dispenser to dispense the powder material to form the powder bed having an initial exposed surface and (2) the powder remover to planarize the initial exposed surface to form a first planar exposed surface,
(ii) directing the energy beam to transform the at least the portion of the powder material to form the hardened material that is at least a portion of the three-dimensional object and protrudes from the first planar exposed surface of the powder bed, and
(iii) individually directing (a) the powder dispenser to dispense the powder material on the first planar exposed surface of the powder bed to yield a subsequent exposed surface, and (b) the powder remover to planarize the subsequent exposed surface to form a second planar exposed surface,
wherein the powder remover is configured to form the second planar exposed surface such that the hardened material protrudes from the first planar exposed surface and the second planar exposed surface, and wherein the powder remover is configured to planarize the subsequent exposed surface of the powder bed without contacting the subsequent exposed surface of the powder bed when the hardened material protrudes from the first planar exposed surface and/or from the second planar exposed surface in a manner such that the hardened material is displaced horizontally by at most 300 micrometers or not displaced.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least the portion of the three-dimensional object comprises warping, buckling, bulging, or balling.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the powder remover is configured to remove an excess of the powder material from the powder bed without contacting the powder bed, to form the first planar exposed surface and/or the second planar exposed surface.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the powder remover is configured to remove the excess of the powder material from the powder bed at least in part using a magnetic force, an electrostatic force, a gas flow, or any combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a vacuum source that is configured to provide the gas flow.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to facilitate printing of the three-dimensional object when the hardened material is horizontally movable by being suspended anchorlessly in the powder bed.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the powder remover is configured to remove an excess of the powder material from the powder bed at least in part using a nozzle and a chamber having a narrowing shape, which chamber (I) is different from a nozzle chamber and (II) is flowably connected to the nozzle such that the powder material is permitted to flow from the nozzle to the chamber.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the powder dispenser is configured to dispense the powder material from an exit opening that is separated by a gaseous gap from the second planar exposed surface.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the exit opening is not parallel to (1) the first planar exposed surface, (2) the second planar exposed surface, or (3) the first planar exposed surface and the second planar exposed surface.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the exit opening does not face (I) the first planar exposed surface, (II) the second planar exposed surface, or (III) the first planar exposed surface and the second planar exposed surface.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to direct the powder dispenser to regulate an amount of the powder material that is dispensed to form the powder bed.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to direct the powder dispenser to vibrate the powder material (1) within the powder dispenser, or (2) substantially at the exit opening, which exit opening is part of the powder dispenser.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to direct the powder dispenser to regulate an amount of the powder material that is dispensed to form the powder bed at least in part by regulating vibration of the powder material.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to direct planarization of the initial exposed surface and/or subsequent exposed surface, at least in part by directing removal of an excess of the powder material without contacting the powder bed.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to direct the powder remover to planarize the initial exposed surface and/or the subsequent exposed surface at least in part by removing an excess of the powder material from the initial exposed surface and/or the subsequent exposed surface without laterally displacing the excess of the powder material to another position of the powder bed.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to facilitate printing of the three-dimensional object when the hardened material is horizontally movable by being devoid of auxiliary support having a scaffold that is (I) suspended anchorlessly in the powder bed and (II) encloses the three-dimensional object.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured such that during printing of the three-dimensional object, the hardened material is suspended anchorlessly in the powder bed.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the system is configured such that during printing of the three-dimensional object, the hardened material comprises auxiliary support that is suspended anchorlessly in the powder bed.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured such that during printing of the three-dimensional object, the hardened material comprises an auxiliary support that is suspended anchorlessly in the powder bed.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured such that during printing of the three-dimensional object, the hardened material is devoid of auxiliary support.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured such that during printing of the three-dimensional object, the hardened material is disconnected from a platform that supports the powder bed while the energy beam transforms the at least the portion of the powder material to form the hardened material.

22. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to direct the powder remover to generate the second planar exposed surface, in a manner such that (I) the hardened material is displaced horizontally by at most 300 micrometers or not displaced, and (II) a shape of the hardened material is preserved during generation of a layer of the powder material having the second planar exposed surface.

23. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to

Assignees

• Velo3D Inc
• Vel03D Inc

Inventors

• Buller Benyamin
• Milshtein Erel
• Seelinger Sherman

Classifications

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/35

  Cleaning · CPC title

• B29C64/245

  Platforms or substrates (support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40) · CPC title

• B29C64/214

  Doctor blades · CPC title

• B29C64/268

  using laser beams; using electron beams [EB] · CPC title