Inserting inhibitor to create part boundary isolation during 3D printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10464134-B2
Application number	US-201615201848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2016
Priority date	Mar 12, 2013
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A 3D printing system may print a desired 3D object. A fusible powder may fuse when subjected to a fusing condition. A deposition system may deposit portions of the fusible powder on a substrate. A fusing system may apply the fusing condition to the deposited fusible powder. Inhibitor material may not fuse when subjected to the fusing condition. An insertion system may insert a portion of the inhibitor material between portions of the deposited fusible powder after having been deposited by the deposition system, but before being fused by the fusing system, so as to form a boundary that defines at least a portion of a surface of the desired 3D object.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A 3D printing system for printing a desired 3D object comprising:
a deposition system that deposits portions of a first material on a substrate;
an insertion system that inserts a portion of a second material between portions of the deposited first material after having been deposited by the deposition system; and
a fusing system that applies a fusing condition to the materials,
wherein:
the insertion system includes a nozzle that has an interior passageway through which the second material travels;
the nozzle has a lower end that includes:
a leading edge in the shape of a plow that can plow a trough between portions of the deposited first material when the lower end of the nozzle traverses such portions; and
a rearward-facing opening though which the second material can be ejected from the nozzle and into the trough immediately after the trough is plowed by the leading edge, thereby filling the trough as the trough is plowed;

the insertion system causes:
the leading edge to plow through portions of the first material; and
the opening to eject the second material from the nozzle immediately after the trough is plowed by the leading edge, thereby filling the trough as the trough is plowed; and

application of the fusing condition causes the desired 3D object to fuse.

2. The 3D printing system of claim 1 further comprising a storage container coupled to the nozzle at an end opposite the lower end, the storage container configured to store a powder or a liquid.

3. The 3D printing system of claim 2 wherein the insertion system includes a vibrating element that controls the flow of the second material.

4. The 3D printing system of claim 1 wherein the insertion system only uses the force of gravity to cause the second material to travel through the passageway and to be ejected into the trough.

5. The 3D printing system of claim 1 wherein the insertion system includes rotary axis actuator that controllably rotates the leading edge of the nozzle so as cause the leading edge to always be leading the direction of the nozzle movement.

6. The 3D printing system of claim 1 further comprising a controller connected to the deposition system and the insertion system, the controller configured to instruct the deposition system to deposit the first material in stacked layers, and instruct the insertion system to insert the second material between the portions of the first material in each stacked layer after the deposition system deposits the stacked layer into which the second material is inserted and before the deposition system deposits the next stacked layer.

7. The 3D printing system of claim 1 further comprising a controller connected to the insertion system, the controller configured to instruct the insertion system to insert the second material while the lower end of the nozzle is moving horizontally and while the lower end of the nozzle is moving vertically.

8. The 3D printing system of claim 7 wherein the controller is further configured to instruct the insertion system to insert the second material between portions of multiple layers of the first material, beginning to do so after all of the multiple layers have been deposited by the 3D printer.

9. The 3D printing system of claim 8 further comprising guy wires attached to the nozzle that prevent the nozzle from bending while the second material is being inserted.

10. The 3D printing system of claim 1 wherein the insertion system includes a six-axis gantry control system that separately controls six axes of nozzle movement.

11. The 3D printing system of claim 1 wherein the rearward-facing opening has an adjustable height.

12. The 3D printing system of claim 11 wherein the height of the rearward-facing opening is controlled by a movable gate.

13. The 3D printing system of claim 1 wherein the fusing system is a heater, and wherein the fusing condition is sintering.

14. The 3D printing system of claim 1 wherein the fusing system is a liquid injector, and wherein the fusing condition is exposure to a liquid.

15. A 3D printing system for printing a 3D object, comprising:
a substrate configured to receive a first material that fuses when subjected to a fusing condition;
a nozzle for dispensing a second material that does not fuse when subjected to the fusing condition, the nozzle having an interior passageway through which the second material travels, the nozzle having a lower end including a leading edge in the shape of a plow configured to plow a trough between portions of the first material that are not yet fused, and a rearward-facing opening configured to eject the second material into the trough after the trough is plowed by the leading edge, thereby filling the trough with the second material as the trough is plowed; and
a rotary axis actuator that controllably rotates the leading edge of the nozzle so as cause the leading edge to always be leading the direction of the nozzle movement.

16. The 3D printing system of claim 15 further comprising a vibrating element configured to control flow of the second material.

17. The 3D printing system of claim 15 further comprising a deposition device configured to deposit the first material onto the substrate, a fusing device configured to provide the fusing condition, and a gantry device configured to move the nozzle within the first material.

18. The 3D printing system of claim 17 further comprising a controller configured to instruct the deposition device to deposit the first material in stacked layers, and instruct the nozzle and gantry device to insert the second material within the first material in each stacked layer and between depositions of the stacked layers by the deposition device.

19. The 3D printing system of claim 15 wherein the rearward-facing opening has an adjustable height.

20. A 3D printing system for printing a 3D object, comprising:
a substrate configured to receive a first material that fuses when subjected to a fusing condition;
a nozzle for dispensing a second material that does not fuse when subjected to the fusing condition, the nozzle having an interior passageway through which the second material travels, the nozzle having a lower end including a leading edge in the shape of a plow configured to plow a trough between portions of the first material that are not yet fused, and a rearward-facing opening configured to eject the second material into the trough after the trough is plowed by the leading edge, thereby filling the trough with the second material as the trough is plowed; and
a deposition device configured to deposit the first material onto the substrate, a fusing device configured to provide the fusing condition, and a gantry device configured to move the nozzle within the first material.

Assignees

• Univ Southern California

Inventors

• Khoshnevis Behrokh

Classifications

• B22F12/53

  Nozzles · CPC title

• B22F10/14

  by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder · CPC title

• B29C64/153 Primary

  using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting · CPC title

• C04B35/48

  based on zirconium or hafnium oxides, zirconates, {zircon} or hafnates · CPC title

• C04B35/63452

  Polyepoxides · CPC title