Three-dimensional printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11498130-B2
Application number	US-201816605131-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2018
Priority date	Feb 28, 2018
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

In an example of a method for three-dimensional (3D) printing, build material layers are patterned to form an intermediate structure. During patterning, a binding agent is selectively applied to define a patterned intermediate part. Also during patterning, i) the binding agent and a separate agent including a gas precursor are, or ii) a combined agent including a binder and the gas precursor is, selectively applied to define a build material support structure adjacent to at least a portion of the patterned intermediate part. The intermediate structure is heated to a temperature that activates the gas precursor to create gas pockets in the build material support structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for three-dimensional (3D) printing, comprising:
patterning build material layers to form an intermediate structure, the patterning including:
selectively applying a binding agent to define a patterned intermediate part; and
selectively applying the binding agent and a separate agent to define a build material support structure adjacent to at least a portion of the patterned intermediate part, the separate agent consisting of a gas precursor, any of a surfactant or a dispersing aid, a co-solvent, an optional antimicrobial agent, an optional anti-kogation agent, and a balance of water; and

heating the intermediate structure to a temperature that activates the gas precursor to create gas pockets in the build material support structure.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the heating involves exposure to a series of temperatures that form:
a 3D object from the patterned intermediate part; and
an irreversibly breakable 3D support structure from the build material support structure, the irreversibly breakable 3D support structure including the gas pockets.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein the heating involves:
heating the intermediate structure to a de-binding temperature; and
then heating the intermediate structure to an initial sintering temperature, followed by a gas pocket formation temperature, followed by a final sintering temperature.

4. The method as defined in claim 2 , further comprising removing the irreversibly breakable 3D support structure from the 3D object using sand blasting, bead blasting, air jetting, tumble, or vibratory finishing.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the patterned intermediate part at least partially overlies the build material support structure.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein patterning the build material layers includes:
selectively applying the binding agent and the separate agent on a portion of an initial build material layer, thereby forming a layer of the build material support structure;
selectively applying the binding agent on an other portion of the initial build material layer to define a layer of the patterned intermediate part, wherein the layer of the build material support structure and the layer of the patterned intermediate part are separated by non-patterned build material; and
forming a remaining portion of the patterned intermediate part on the build material support structure, thereby forming the intermediate structure including the patterned intermediate part and the build material support structure temporarily bound together.

7. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein:
the build material support structure is a multi-layer structure;
prior to forming the remaining portion of the patterned intermediate part, the method further comprises:
iteratively applying additional build material layers;
selectively applying the the binding agent and the separate agent to some of the additional build material layers to define several layers of the build material support structure; and
selectively applying the binding agent to some other of the additional build material layers to define several layers of a region of the patterned intermediate part, wherein the several layers of the build material support structure and the several layers of the region of the patterned intermediate part are separated by additional non-patterned build material; and

the forming of the remaining portion of the patterned intermediate part includes:
applying a further layer of build material on the build material support structure and on an outer layer of the region of the patterned intermediate part; and
selectively applying the binding agent to the further layer to define a patterned layer of the remaining portion of the patterned intermediate part.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein patterning the build material layers includes:
iteratively applying individual build material layers;
selectively applying the binding agent to at least some of the individual build material layers to define several layers of the patterned intermediate part; and
selectively applying the binding agent and the separate agent to at least some of the individual build material layers to define several layers of the build material support structure.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the build material support structure is a single layer structure, and wherein the patterned intermediate part at least partially overlies the single layer structure.

10. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the gas precursor is selected from the group consisting of a transition metal hydride, an alkaline earth carbonate that releases carbon dioxide when activated, and a solid state mixture of an oxidizable species and an oxidizing agent to produce an oxidation product in a gas state at a sintering temperature used during the heating.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein one of:
the gas precursor is the transition metal hydride, and the method further comprises exposing the intermediate structure to hydrogen gas during the heating; or
the gas precursor is the solid state mixture, and the method further comprises exposing the intermediate structure to an inert gas or a vacuum environment during the heating.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Shaarawi Mohammed S
• Mckinnell James
• Kasperchik Vladek
• Champion David A

Classifications

• B22F10/43

  characterised by material · CPC title

• B22F10/00 Primary

  Additive manufacturing of workpieces or articles from metallic powder (apparatus or devices therefor B22F12/00) · CPC title

• B33Y70/00

  Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B22F5/003 Primary

  Articles made for being fractured or separated into parts · CPC title