Additive manufacturing in gel-supported environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12377611-B2
Application number	US-202117185439-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2021
Priority date	Apr 4, 2017
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

Described is an apparatus for making three dimensional objects. A nozzle is positioned within a gel inside a container of gel. The position of the nozzle within the gel is changed while depositing solidifying material through the nozzle. The gel supports the solidifying material at the position at which the solidifying material is deposited. The solidifying material is solidified to form a solid material, which is a three-dimensional object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for making a three-dimensional object, the system comprising:
a first multi-axis machine;
an arm affixed to the machine and controlled by a controller of the first multi-axis machine;
at least one chamber containing solidifying material therein;
at least one mixing tip that mixes material within the at least one chamber;
a container of carbomer gel located on a second multi-axis machine, having a second controller for controlling the second multi-axis machine, where the second multi-axis machine moves in three axes that are separate and distinct from axes of movement of the first multi-axis machine to which the mixing tip is affixed, and where the second multi-axis machine moves the container of gel in three axes;
at least one nozzle connected to the mixing tip and connected to the arm, where the at least one nozzle deposits mixed material within the carbomer gel; and
a pneumatic control system that controls a flow of the mixed material from the nozzle in accordance with defined functionality of the pneumatic control system programmed with a design of the three-dimensional object and how to render the three-dimensional object using the second multi-axis machine and the first multi-axis machine, including the nozzle and the container, where the flow includes parameters that increase or decrease pressure within the chamber,
wherein the controller of the first multi-axis machine is configured to move the arm of the first multi-axis machine, causing the arm to move the nozzle through the carbomer gel since the nozzle is connected to the mixing tip, which is in turn connected to the arm, wherein movement of the arm changes position of the nozzle within the carbomer gel while depositing the solidifying material which becomes part of the three-dimensional object, through the at least one nozzle, whereby the carbomer gel supports the solidifying material, which is suspended within the carbomer gel, wherein the carbomer gel does not scar and wherein the carbomer gel is a water-based gel, and
wherein the controller of the first multi-axis machine is configured to automatically change a volume of material extruded per distance traveled when the first multi-axis machine changes a speed of changing position of the nozzle, illustrating that the volume of material extruded and the speed of changing position of the nozzle are interrelated process variables; and
a machine configured to send a structure to be fabricated to the robotic arm, and
wherein an output of the machine is a machine code configured to directly link to the system for making a three-dimensional object.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is affixed to the first multi-axis machine, and wherein the first multi-axis machine changes the position of the nozzle through the carbomer gel when there is a moving of one or more axes of the first multi-axis machine to which the nozzle is affixed.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first multi-axis machine varies a rate at which the solidifying material is deposited through the nozzle.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first multi-axis machine changes position of the nozzle at varying speeds.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first multi-axis machine and the second multi-axis machine move at the same time, causing the nozzle to move at the same time as the container of the carbomer gel.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the carbomer gel contains properties that allow the solidifying material to be exposed to light or heat while in the carbomer gel.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the carbomer gel contains properties that allow the solidifying material to cool while in the carbomer gel.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first multi-axis machine exposes the solidifying material to light while the nozzle deposits the solidifying material.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein physical properties of the nozzle allow for depositing of solidifying material therethrough that is a polymer, a rubber, a pulp, a foam, a metal, a concrete, or an epoxy resin.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the rubber is a silicone rubber.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein physical properties of the nozzle allow for depositing of solidifying material therethrough that has a hardness between about Shore 00-10 and about Shore 90D when solidified.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein physical properties of the nozzle allow for depositing of solidifying material therethrough that is a foam.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein physical properties of the nozzle allow for depositing of solidified foam therethrough that has a density of about 3 lb/ft to about 30 lb/ft′.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the carbomer gel is a suspension.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the carbomer gel has a viscosity between about 20000 centipoise and about 50000 centipoise.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle has a circular-shaped, rectangular-shaped, square-shaped, diamond-shaped, V-shaped, U-shaped, or C-shaped tip through which the solidifying material is deposited.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the solidifying material comprises two compounds that co-polymerize, and wherein solidifying the solidifying material comprises allowing the two compounds to co-polymerize.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the mixing tip mixes the two compounds as they are deposited through the nozzle.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first multi-axis machine changes the position of the nozzle within the carbomer gel in three through eight axes simultaneously, for at least a portion of time.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first multi-axis machine changes the position of the nozzle within the carbomer gel in five through eight axes simultaneously, for at least a portion of time.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first multi-axis machine changes the position of the nozzle within the carbomer gel in three through six axes simultaneously, for at least a portion of time.

22. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first multi-axis machine changes the position of the nozzle within the carbomer gel in six axes simultaneously, for at least a portion of time.

23. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first multi-axis machine changes the position of the nozzle to deposit solidifying material onto, around, or within another object within the carbomer gel.

24. The system of claim 1 , wherein there are at least two chambers, each containing a different solidifying material.

25. The system of claim 1 , wherein there are at least two nozzles that are independently controllable.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the second nozzle is connected to a second arm.

27. The system of claim 25 , wherein the first and second nozzles have tips with different shapes.

28. The system of claim 1 , wherein the machine code is configured to include other parameters and values including changes in air pressure, speed of the first multi-axis machine, and orientation of the nozzle.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology
• Steelcase Incorporated

Inventors

• Tibbits Skylar JE
• Guberan Christophe
• Laucks Jared S
• Kernizan Schendy Guiders
• Hajash Kathleen S
• Sparrman Bjorn
• Noll Paul

Classifications

• B29C64/106

  using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• B29K2995/007

  Hardness · CPC title

• B29K2083/00

  Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material · CPC title

• B33Y70/00

  Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing · CPC title