Removal of supports, and other materials from surface, and within hollow 3D printed parts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12090551-B2
Application number	US-202217728476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2022
Priority date	Apr 23, 2021
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

Methods for removing support structures in additively manufactured parts are disclosed. A method in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure comprises inserting a demolition object in a first state into a hollow portion of a 3-D printed part, breaking a support structure within the hollow portion by contact with the demolition object, changing the demolition object into a second state while the demolition object is within the hollow portion of the 3-D printed part, and removing the demolition object from the hollow portion of the 3-D printed part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
inserting a demolition object in a first state into a hollow portion of a 3-D printed part;
breaking a support structure within the hollow portion by contact with the demolition object;
changing the demolition object into a second state while the demolition object is within the hollow portion of the 3-D printed part; and
removing the demolition object from the hollow portion of the 3-D printed part,
wherein the demolition object includes a dissolvable portion, the first state includes an undissolved state, the second state includes a dissolved state that includes a solution of the dissolvable portion, and changing the demolition object into the dissolved state includes introducing a solvent into the hollow portion of the 3-D printed part.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first state includes a hardened state and the second state includes a softened state.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the demolition object includes removing the solution from the hollow portion of the 3-D printed part.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the demolition object further includes an insoluble portion, and the solution includes the insoluble portion, which has not been dissolved.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the insoluble portion includes at least aluminum, stainless steel, copper, cobalt, chrome, titanium, magnesium, calcium, silicon, zinc, zirconium, tungsten, gold, iron, cadmium, manganese, lead, mercury, radioactive metals, other metals, ceramics, organic materials, alloys thereof, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein changing the demolition object into the dissolved state includes introducing the solvent comprising at least water, an acid, an electrolyte, a salt, or a base.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dissolvable portion includes at least an adhesive and a polymer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting the demolition object includes injecting the demolition object into the hollow portion of the 3-D printed part by the force of at least a liquid or a gas.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the demolition object is inserted into a first opening in the 3-D printed part and removed through a second opening in the 3-D printed part.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein an initial shape of the demolition object is too large to be removed through the second opening in the 3-D printed part.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the support structure is positioned to be encompassed by the hollow portion of the 3-D printed part during manufacturing of the 3-D printed part.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein changing the demolition object into the dissolved state includes introducing at least an electrical force, a radiation, a sound, an ultrasound, a pressure, a magnetic force, a vibration, or a rotational force.

Assignees

• Divergent Tech Inc

Inventors

• Kenworthy Michael Thomas
• Doty Taylor Caitlin
• Issari Bahram
• Lakshman Narender Shankar
• Artysiewicz Krzysztof

Classifications

• B22F5/10

  of articles with cavities or holes, not otherwise provided for in the preceding subgroups · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B22F10/40

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

• B22F10/64

  by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364) · CPC title

• B33Y40/20

  Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing · CPC title