Additive manufacturing system for halftone colored 3D objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11312049-B2
Application number	US-201916374185-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2019
Priority date	Apr 3, 2019
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

A 3D printing system applies colored powders (e.g., primary colors, white, black, cyan, magenta, yellow, fluorescent colors, metallic) in printed polymer layers for forming a colored 3D object. The system may stabilize a powder layer or color sub-layers thereof, for example with one or more of heat, pressure, and/or high-intensity light. On each layer, powders of various colors may be sequentially deposited in a halftone pattern and stabilized, so as to create a part with a specified arrangement of colors throughout its structure. Benefits include more stable color than strategies involving jetting colored fluids. The arrangement of color on the interior of the part could provide functional or traceability benefits for specific applications. The examples allow for depositing a greater quantity of powder on each fiber base or substrate, decreasing the ratio of fiber to powder and increasing production speed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing system for fabricating halftone colored additive manufactured composite structures, comprising:
a substrate material being forwarded through the printing system in a process direction;
a first color powder;
a first color additive manufacturing device adjacent to the substrate material, the first color additive manufacturing device configured to deposit a first halftone color image in a desired first halftone pattern onto an imaging area of the substrate material, the first color additive manufacturing device including:
a first image forming device for selectively depositing a first adhering agent in the desired first halftone pattern onto the imaging area of the substrate material,
a first color powder applicator configured to apply the first color powder onto the imaging area and the first adhering agent, wherein the first color powder attaches to the substrate material via interaction with the first adhering agent, and
a first color powder remover configured to remove any of the applied first color powder that does not attach to the substrate material resulting in the first halftone color image on the imaging area;

a second color powder being different than the first color powder; and
a second color additive manufacturing device downstream the first color additive manufacturing device in the process direction, the second color additive manufacturing device configured to deposit a second halftone color image different than the first halftone color image in a desired second halftone pattern onto the imaging area of the first halftone color image, the second color additive manufacturing device including:
a second image forming device for selectively depositing a second adhering agent in the desired second halftone pattern onto the imaging area and the first halftone color image,
a second color powder applicator configured to apply the second color powder onto the imaging area and the second adhering agent, wherein the second color powder attaches to the substrate material via interaction with the second adhering agent, and
a second color powder remover configured to remove any of the applied second color powder that does not attach to the substrate material, resulting in the second halftone color image pattern on the imaging area,

wherein one of the halftone colored additive manufactured composite structures includes the substrate material with the first halftone color image and the second halftone color image printed thereon as an aggregate halftone color image at the imaging area.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a fuser positioned downstream the second color powder remover in the process direction to at least partially cure the second halftone color image sufficient to stabilize the second halftone color image with the first halftone color image on the substrate material as a pinned second halftone color image.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a fuser positioned after each of the first color additive manufacturing device and the second color additive manufacturing device in the process direction, each fuser configured to at least partially cure the respective halftone color image added by the respective color additive manufacturing device sufficient to stabilize the respective halftone color image with any previously added halftone color image on the imaging area of the substrate material.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the fuser includes a hot plate press.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the fuser includes a pinning lamp.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the fuser includes a heat roller.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a fuser between the first color additive manufacturing device and the second color additive manufacturing device to at least partially cure the first halftone color image sufficient to stabilize the first halftone color image on the substrate material as a pinned first halftone color image that is not disturbed by processing by the second color additive manufacturing device.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller in communication with at least one of the first color additive manufacturing device, and the second color additive manufacturing device to output control signals to control an operation of the at least one of the additive manufacturing devices in communication therewith.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first adhering agent and the second adhering agent are dyeless fluids.

10. A method for fabricating halftone colored additive manufactured composite structures using a printing system, the printing system including a substrate material having an imaging area, a first color powder, a first color additive manufacturing device adjacent to the substrate material, a second color powder being different than the first color powder, and a second color additive manufacturing device downstream the first color additive manufacturing device in the process direction, the second color additive manufacturing device including a second image forming device, a second color powder applicator, and a second color powder remover, the method, comprising:
a) forwarding the substrate material through the printing system in a process direction;
b) selectively depositing the first halftone color image in the desired first halftone pattern onto the imaging area of the substrate material with the first color additive manufacturing device adjacent to the substrate material, the step b) further including:
selectively depositing a first adhering agent in the desired first halftone pattern onto an imaging area of the substrate material with a first image forming device,
applying a first color powder onto the imaging area via a first color powder applicator to attach the first color powder to the substrate material via interaction with the first adhering agent, and
removing any of the applied first color powder that does not attach to the substrate material with a first color powder remover, the removing resulting in the first halftone color image on the substrate material; and

c) selectively depositing the second halftone color image different than the first halftone color image in a desired second halftone pattern onto the imaging area and the first halftone color image with a second color additive manufacturing device downstream the first color additive manufacturing device in the process direction, the step c) further including:
selectively depositing a second adhering agent in the desired second halftone pattern onto the imaging area and the first halftone color image with a second image forming device downstream the first color powder remover in the process direction,
applying a second color powder onto the imaging area with a second color powder applicator to attach the second color powder to the substrate material via interaction with the second adhering agent, the second color powder being different than the first color powder, and
removing any of the applied second color powder that does not attach to the substrate material with a second color powder remover, the removing resulting in the second halftone color image on the imaging area,

wherein one of the halftone colored additive manufactured composite structures includes the substrate material with the first halftone color image and the second halftone color image deposited thereon forming an aggregate halftone color image at the imaging area.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising curing the first halftone color image with a fuser between the first color additive manufacturing device and the second color additive manufacturing device, the fusing sufficient to stabilize the first halftone color image on the sub

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Daniels Marc D
• Buchar Wayne A
• Triplett Roger L
• Maltz Martin S

Classifications

• B29C64/165 Primary

  using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber · CPC title

• B33Y70/10

  Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B29C64/147 Primary

  using sheet material, e.g. laminated object manufacturing [LOM] or laminating sheet material precut to local cross sections of the 3D object · CPC title

• B29C64/176

  Sequentially · CPC title