Additive manufacturing with dispensing of multiple powders

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11007570-B2
Application number	US-201815927957-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2018
Priority date	Dec 28, 2017
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a platform, one or more supports positioned above the platform, an actuator, a first dispenser system configured dispense a plurality of successive layers of powder onto a build area supported by the platform, a first binder material dispenser configured to selectively dispense a first binder material on a voxel-by-voxel basis to an uppermost layer of powder in the build area, and an energy source configured to emit radiation toward the platform so as to solidify the binder material. The first dispenser system includes a first powder dispenser that is attached to and moves with a first support from the one or more supports and is configured to selectively dispense a first powder onto the build area, and a second powder dispenser that is configured to selectively dispense the second powder onto the build area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a platform;
one or more supports positioned above the platform;
an actuator coupled to at least one of the platform and the one or more supports and configured to create relative motion therebetween such that the one or more supports scan across the platform along a first axis,
a first dispenser system configured dispense a plurality of successive layers of powder onto a build area supported by the platform, wherein the first dispenser system includes
a first powder dispenser that is attached to and moves with a first support from the one or more supports and is configured to selectively dispense a first powder onto the build area, and
a second powder dispenser that is configured to selectively dispense a second powder onto the build area;

a second dispenser system configured to dispense a liquid binder material onto the build area, wherein the second dispenser system includes a first binder material dispenser configured to selectively dispense a first binder material on a voxel-by-voxel basis to an uppermost layer of powder in the build area to form a volume of the uppermost layer having powder and binder material and corresponding to a cross-sectional portion of a part being built; and
an energy source configured to emit radiation toward the platform at an intensity so as to solidify the binder material to generate powder particles held in a matrix of solidified binder material.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first powder dispenser comprises a first plurality of individually controllable orifices, each orifice of the first plurality of individually controllable orifices of the first powder dispenser configured to controllably deliver the first powder, and the second powder dispenser comprises a second plurality of individually controllable orifices, each orifice of the second plurality of individually controllable orifices of the second powder dispenser configured to controllably deliver the second powder.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second powder dispenser is attached to and moves with the first support.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first binder material dispenser and the energy source are supported by the first support.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second powder dispenser is supported by and movable with a second support from the one or more supports.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , and wherein the second support is movable along a third axis, and the second powder dispenser is configured to selectively dispense the second powder in a strip along a fourth axis that is at a non-zero angle relative to the third axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first binder material dispenser and energy source are attached to and move with a third support from the one or more supports.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the third axis is substantially parallel to the first axis.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the third axis is substantially perpendicular to the first axis.

10. An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a platform;
one or more supports positioned above the platform;
an actuator coupled to at least one of the platform and the one or more supports and configured to create relative motion therebetween such that the one or more supports scan across the platform along a first axis,
a first dispenser system configured dispense a plurality of successive layers of powder onto a build area supported by the platform, wherein the first dispenser system includes
a first powder dispenser that is attached to and moves with a first support from the one or more supports and is configured to selectively dispense a first powder onto the build area, and
a second powder dispenser that is configured to selectively dispense a second powder onto the build area;

a second dispenser system configured to dispense a liquid binder material onto the build area, wherein the second dispenser system includes a first binder material dispenser configured to selectively dispense a first binder material on a voxel-by-voxel basis;
an energy source configured to emit radiation toward the platform at an intensity so as to solidify the binder material; and
a controller having a memory configured to store a data object that corresponds to at least a layer of an object to be fabricated, the controller configured to configured to
cause the first powder dispenser to dispense the first powder in a region corresponding to the object to be fabricated,
cause the second powder dispenser to dispense the second powder in a region that does not correspond to objects to be fabricated, and
cause the second dispenser system to dispense the binder material to an uppermost layer of powder in the build area to form a volume of the layer having the first powder and binder material in a region corresponding to the object to be fabricated.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first powder comprises metal particles and the second powder comprises ceramic particles, or the first powder comprises metal or ceramic particles and the second powder comprises plastic particles.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured cause the second dispenser system to dispense binder material on only the first powder.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured cause the first dispenser system to dispense binder material on both the first powder and the second powder.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a controller having a memory configured to store a data object that corresponds to at least a layer of an object to be fabricated, the controller configured to configured to
cause the first powder dispenser to dispense the first powder in a first region corresponding to the object to be fabricated,
cause the second powder dispenser to dispense the second powder in a portion of the first region.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second powder comprises a densification material for the first powder.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second dispenser system comprises a second binder material dispenser to dispense the binder material.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first powder dispenser, second powder dispenser, first binder material dispenser and second binder material dispenser are attached to and move with the first support.

18. An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a platform;
one or more supports positioned above the platform;
an actuator coupled to at least one of the platform and the one or more supports and configured to create relative motion therebetween such that the one or more supports scan across the platform along a first axis,
a first dispenser system configured dispense a plurality of successive layers of powder onto a build area supported by the platform, wherein the first dispenser system includes
a first powder dispenser that is attached to and moves with a first support from the one or more supports and is configured to selectively dispense a first powder onto the build area, and
a second powder dispenser that is configured to selectively dispense a second powder onto the build area;

a second dispenser system configured to dispense a binder material onto the build area, wherein the second dispenser system includes a first binder material dispenser and a second binder material dispenser each configured to selectively dispense a first binder material on a voxel-by-voxel basis to an uppermost layer of powder in the build area to form a vol

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Ng Hou T
• Patibandla Nag B
• Zhang Daihua

Classifications

• B28B7/465 Primary

  Applying setting liquid to dry mixtures · CPC title

• B22F12/42

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• B22F12/90

  Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors · CPC title

• B22F12/55

  Two or more means for feeding material · CPC title

• B22F10/40

  Structures for supporting workpieces or articles during manufacture and removed afterwards · CPC title