Methods and systems for condensing a vapor on a powder bed

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11717887-B2
Application number	US-202016924872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2020
Priority date	Jul 10, 2019
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A method is provided for printing a three-dimensional object. The method comprises, depositing a layer of metal powder onto a powder bed of a three-dimensional printer. A liquid is heated to generate a vapor. The liquid is removed from the vapor to dry the vapor by heating the vapor above a condensation temperature of the liquid. The dry vapor is deposited onto the powder bed of the three-dimensional printer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for printing a three-dimensional object, the system comprising:
a powder bed configured to receive one or more layers of metal powder;
a vapor generator configured to heat a liquid to form a vapor;
a drying subsystem configured to heat the vapor to produce a dry vapor; and
a vapor deposition subsystem configured to deliver the dry vapor to a surface of the powder bed, wherein at least a portion of the vapor deposition subsystem is moveable relative to the powder bed to deposit the dry vapor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vapor generator includes at least one of a boiler, a heated surface, a heating coil, or an atomizing nozzle.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a vapor distribution subsystem configured to distribute the dry vapor across the deposition subsystem.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the vapor distribution subsystem includes at least one of a branching distribution system or a plenum space.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vapor deposition subsystem includes at least one of an orifice plate, a nozzle, or a plenum space.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vapor deposition subsystem includes a pair of parallel plates spaced apart from one another to form a gap, wherein a first of the pair of parallel plates defines a plurality of openings, and wherein a second of the pair of parallel plates has a first surface facing the first parallel plate and a second surface adjacent to a plenum space.

7. A system for printing a three-dimensional object, the system comprising:
a powder bed configured to receive one or more layers of metal powder;
a boiler configured to heat a liquid to form a vapor;
a heater for heating the vapor to produce a dry vapor;
a diffuser fluidly coupled to a plenum space; and
a nozzle fluidly coupled to the plenum space and configured to deliver the dry vapor to the powder bed.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a valve configured to control a flow of the dry vapor.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the nozzle includes a pair of parallel plates spaced apart from one another to form a gap, wherein a first of the pair of parallel plates defines a plurality of openings, and wherein a second of the pair of parallel plates has a first surface facing the first parallel plate and a second surface adjacent to the plenum space.

10. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a branching distribution system fluidly connected to the plenum space.

11. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a piston system fluidly coupled to the boiler.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the nozzle includes an orifice plate.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein vapor generator is configured to control a flow of the vapor by adjusting a pressure in the vapor generator.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein vapor generator is configured to control a flow of the vapor by adjusting a temperature in the vapor generator.

15. The system of claim 7 wherein boiler is configured to control of a flow of the vapor by adjusting a pressure in the boiler.

16. The system of claim 7 wherein boiler is configured to control of a flow of the vapor by adjusting a temperature in the boiler.

Assignees

• Desktop Metal Inc

Inventors

• Sachs Emanuel M
• Hoisington Paul A
• Fontana Richard Remo
• Go Jamison
• Johnson Joseph
• Hudelson George
• Lockwood Cassia
• Goldblatt Michael

Classifications

• B22F3/1007 Primary

  Atmosphere (B22F3/1021 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B22F3/003

  Apparatus, e.g. furnaces (in general F27B) · CPC title

• B22F3/1021

  Removal of binder or filler (removal of binder from ceramics C04B35/638) · CPC title

• B22F2201/02

  Nitrogen · CPC title

• B22F2201/50

  air · CPC title